诺华公司计划收购以色列Gamida Cell
2014-03-19 16:47:27   来源：生物谷   

2014年3月19日讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --据以色列媒体报道，制药巨头诺华公司计划收购以色列Gamida Cell生物技术公司。整个收购协议包括里程碑资金的总额达到了6亿美元。Gamida Cell公司是一家致力于开发干细胞技术并将其应用到白血病患者干细胞移植手术的生物技术公司，公司目前正在进行的StemEx正处于中期研究阶段，一旦成功，今后白血病患者将可以利用自己的干细胞来进行骨髓移植，而不需要在花费巨大代价遵照配型相同的志愿者捐献干细胞。此前公司已经将相关信息提交给FDA审核，但去年夏天FDA要求公司提交完整的三期研究数据后才能作出最后决定。

以色列制药巨头梯瓦公司也是该公司的一大股东，此前梯瓦对StemEx寄予厚望，然而现在梯瓦公司计划放弃这一项目，希望将其转让。同时，有消息表明Gamida Cell公司也正在考虑IPO的可能性。

Israel's Globes is reporting that Novartis is pursuing a deal to buy out Israel's Gamida Cell for "hundreds of millions" of dollars upfront and hundreds of millions more in milestones, adding up to a total of about $600 million. The stem cell biotech has been working on a late-stage program for boosting the concentration of stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood to implant in adult leukemia and lymphoma patients.

Reuters followed up with a story saying that two big shareholders of Gamida Cell confirmed that a buyout deal is in the works, but also noted that a Novartis ($NVS) spokesperson declined to comment on the news. Clal Biotechnology--which has a finger in a number of Israeli biotech pies--said that an acquisition offer had arrived March 7, according to Reuters.

Gamida Cell had been touting plans to take the Phase II/III data on StemEx to the FDA, but was forced to announce last summer that regulators had stiff-armed the proposal, demanding a full Phase III study ahead of a decision. Teva ($TEVA) had been engaged in a joint venture on the program, but Globes reports that the big Israeli biopharma company dropped its interest in commercializing the therapy, leaving the commercial rights to the program up for grabs if a buyer came along.

Typically, leukemia and lymphoma patients look to bone marrow transplants to generate new blood cells. But often a matching donor needed for the bone marrow transplants can't be found, and stem cell transplants can be an alternative method for saving lives.

Teva is still listed as an investor, along with Big Biotech Amgen ($AMGN), Denali Ventures and Elbit Medical Technologies, which has a big stake in the company and reportedly confirmed that the offer involves a "significant immediate payment and additional future payments totaling hundreds of millions of dollars."

Gamida Cell has been exploring a possible IPO, which could be real or could be a useful gambit in any buyout discussions.