Pentixapham buys Glycotope's antibody discovery unit

Pentixapharm, a German biotech company specializing in radiopharmaceuticals, has acquired Glycotope’s target discovery unit, a fellow German entity, to enhance its oncology pipeline. The financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed. This strategic move is aimed at transforming preclinical antibodies aimed at multiple cancer targets into advanced radiopharmaceutical treatments. The acquisition also incorporates Glycotope’s laboratories, cell banks, tumor target database, and specialized equipment into Pentixapharm’s asset portfolio.

Hakim Bouterfa, the CEO of Pentixapharm, emphasized that this acquisition will significantly broaden the company’s Intellectual Property portfolio, which had previously been centered around the CXCR4 receptor. According to Bouterfa, this will effectively double the company's development pipeline and expand its business and clinical development opportunities substantially. He highlighted that Glycotope’s pipeline includes multiple candidates primed for immediate proof-of-concept studies as next-generation radiopharmaceuticals. Bouterfa expressed enthusiasm for leveraging the synergistic potential of Pentixapharm’s existing expertise and Glycotope’s target discovery capabilities to benefit patients in diagnostic and therapeutic contexts.

Pentixapharm’s existing clinical pipeline includes PentixaTher, a Yttrium-90-based radiotherapy designed for treating central nervous system lymphoma. This treatment is currently under evaluation in an open-label Phase I/II dose-finding trial. The company is also developing a companion diagnostic called PentixaFor, which is being tested in a Phase III trial aimed at staging marginal zone lymphoma, a subtype of non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma.

In addition to expanding its development pipeline, Pentixapharm will integrate approximately 40 of Glycotope’s employees into its workforce. This includes executives, R&D specialists, and administrative staff, thereby enriching Pentixapharm's human resources.

Currently owned by Eckert & Ziegler (EZAG), a company known for its isotope-related components for medical, scientific, and industrial applications, Pentixapharm is planning to detach from EZAG and pursue a listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

The radiopharmaceutical sector has seen a surge in interest and investment over the past few years. Noteworthy transactions include Eli Lilly’s two significant deals: a $140 million partnership with Radionetics Oncology and a discovery collaboration agreement with Aktis Oncology valued potentially over $1.7 billion. Bristol Myers Squibb also made headlines by acquiring RayzeBio for $4.2 billion. Novartis invested $1.75 billion to purchase Mariana Oncology, a U.S.-based company, while AstraZeneca initiated its radiopharmaceutical pipeline with a $2.4 billion acquisition of Fusion Pharmaceuticals in March of this year.

The acquisition of Glycotope’s target discovery unit represents a substantial leap forward for Pentixapharm, positioning it well within a rapidly evolving industry that continues to attract major investments and strategic partnerships.