Shionogi announced the acquisition of U.S. company Intrabio for $2 billion and will obtain rights in the rare disease field. Around the same time, SanBio administered Akugo to its first patient at Hokkaido University Hospital.
On 5 October, Shionogi announced that it would acquire U.S. company Intrabio. It will acquire all shares and make its U.S. subsidiary Shionogi Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary. The acquisition price is approximately $2 billion, and completion is expected between November and December. Intrabio develops treatments for neurodegenerative diseases in the rare disease field and has obtained approval for AQNEURSA in the United States and Europe.
SanBio announced on the same day that the first post-marketing administration of its cell therapy Akugo intracerebral implantation product had been performed at Hokkaido University Hospital. The indication is the improvement of chronic motor paralysis associated with traumatic brain injury. The product received conditional, time-limited approval last year and was launched this year. President Mori Keita (森 敬太) said the company would continue to promote stable supply and appropriate use.
Nippon Zoki Pharmaceutical signed a licensing agreement for TLC599 with Taiwan-based TLC Biosciences. It obtained exclusive development and commercialization rights in Japan for a sustained-release injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate. Preparations for Phase 3 trials are under way in Japan and the United States.
Shionogi announced an investment in Seraid Therapeutics through its CVC operations. The company is based on technology for the ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells and aims to bring cell therapies for refractory hematological and genetic diseases into clinical practice.
AstraZeneca signed an industry-academia collaboration agreement with the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity. The parties will work to promote prevention, develop healthcare delivery systems and address insufficient understanding of obesity, with the aim of improving public health.