Ligand to Acquire Apeiron; Roche Faces Another TIGIT Hurdle

Ligand Pharmaceuticals has announced its acquisition of the Austrian company Apeiron Biologics for $100 million. This acquisition grants Ligand the royalty rights to Qarziba, a treatment for high-risk glioblastoma that Apeiron originally co-developed and later licensed to Eusa Pharma for markets outside China. Recordati, which acquired Eusa in 2022, currently markets the drug. Additionally, Ligand plans to invest up to $4 million in InvlOs Holding, a private spinout from Apeiron.

In other news, Aerovate Therapeutics is exploring strategic options, including a potential sale, merger, or liquidation. This comes shortly after the company announced the cessation of its experimental inhaled treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension following disappointing results in a Phase 2 trial. At the time of the announcement, the company possessed $100 million in cash and cash equivalents. Aerovate's stock has suffered dramatically, plummeting by over 90% this year and trading at less than $2 per share.

Roche has also faced setbacks. In a recent Phase 2/3 study, a drug combination including Roche’s experimental antibody tiragolumab was found to be less effective than Merck & Co.'s Keytruda combined with chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated non-small cell lung cancer. This outcome has dampened expectations for the TIGIT class of drugs and negatively impacted the shares of other companies developing similar treatments. Consequently, Roche has decided to discontinue the Phase 2/3 study but is still awaiting results from a more significant trial of tiragolumab later this year.

In a significant development for hemophilia B treatment, two patients in France have been treated with the gene therapy Hemgenix, marking the first time this approved therapy has been used outside clinical trials in Europe. Hemgenix aims to provide a one-time solution by replacing a gene that encodes Factor IX, a protein crucial for blood clotting. Originally developed by UniQure and licensed to CSL Behring in 2020, Hemgenix's market uptake has been slow despite its approval.

How to obtain the latest research advancements in the field of biopharmaceuticals?

In the Synapse database, you can keep abreast of the latest research and development advances in drugs, targets, indications, organizations, etc., anywhere and anytime, on a daily or weekly basis. Click on the image below to embark on a brand new journey of drug discovery!