GSK, a UK pharmaceutical multinational, has agreed to acquire 35Pharma, a private Canadian clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, for $950m in cash.
The transaction will provide GSK with full ownership of 35Pharma and its lead investigational medicine, HS235, an activin receptor signalling inhibitor currently positioned for studies in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF).
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The deal is subject to standard regulatory approvals in the US and Canada, including clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and the Competition Act.
According to GSK, pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a condition characterised by high blood pressure in the lungs, affecting approximately 82 million people worldwide. The disease has a five-year survival rate of around 50%, and available treatments are limited.
HS235 targets the activin receptor pathway, which has been validated clinically as relevant in PH.
The drug’s design aims to enhance selectivity by limiting interaction with BMP9 and BMP10, ligands linked with adverse events including bleeding and telangiectasia.
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By GlobalDataIn early studies involving obese mice with preserved ejection fraction heart conditions, HS235 reduced fat mass while improving heart function.
Early clinical research in healthy volunteers has been completed, and additional studies are set to commence shortly.
GSK chief scientific officer Tony Wood said: “We’re delighted to add HS235 to our pipeline, a potential best-in-class medicine with a differentiated profile to reduce risk of bleeding and provide potential metabolic benefits clinically relevant to PH patients.”
GSK’s new chief executive Luke Miels has indicated that GSK will continue developing products addressing the downstream effects of obesity, such as liver and heart diseases, rather than targeting primary obesity treatment.
If successful in further trials, HS235 may be administered via injection every four weeks or less frequently.
35Pharma CEO Ilia Tikhomirov said: “We are pleased to be joining forces with GSK, a leader in respiratory and inflammatory drivers of disease, who shares our vision of HS235’s potential to transform the treatment of this debilitating condition.”
