GSK acquires Elsie for up to $50M after 11-month partnership

After an 11-month collaboration, GSK is set to acquire Elsie Biotechnologies for $50 million, aiming to leverage Elsie's oligonucleotide platform for enhanced drug discovery. The partnership, which began in July 2023, initially allowed GSK to explore and utilize Elsie's oligonucleotide discovery and chemistry technologies under a non-exclusive license. By February, GSK opted to exercise this license, leading to the current acquisition deal.

Tony Wood, GSK's chief scientific officer, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, highlighting the synergy between Elsie’s expertise and GSK’s internal capabilities. Wood stated that this collaboration would accelerate the development of next-generation oligonucleotide treatments for diseases that affect large patient populations. The integration of data from Elsie's platform with GSK’s artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) technologies is expected to enhance the design and development of oligonucleotide drugs.

GSK plans to use the combined data and AI/ML capabilities to create predictive models for future oligonucleotide design. This will feed into their existing pipeline, which includes promising treatments for chronic hepatitis B and steatotic liver disease. Among these, bepirovirsen, a candidate for hepatitis B, is projected to deliver Phase 3 data by 2026 and potentially set a new standard of care for the infectious disease.

Additionally, GSK had previously strengthened its oligonucleotide research capabilities through a partnership with Wave Life Sciences in late 2022. This acquisition of Elsie Biotechnologies further solidifies GSK’s commitment to advancing oligonucleotide-based therapies.