Pharmaceutical firm Novartis joined forces with Blackstone Life Sciences, a biopharmaceutical investment arm of private equity firm Blackstone, yesterday to launch US-based cardiovascular drug developer Anthos Therapeutics.
Blackstone Life Sciences has provided $250m in funding, while Novartis has licensed an antibody called MAA868 to Anthos. Novartis has secured a minority stake in Anthos as part of the licensing agreement.
Anthos Therapeutics will focus on targeted therapies for high-risk patients suffering from cardiovascular disease. MAA868 will be developed as a blood clot treatment that boasts minimal or no bleeding risk in long-term care, a risk factor in current therapies.
Blackstone Life Sciences will control the development of products. John Glasspool, who led Novartis’ Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases franchise from 2004 to 2008, has been appointed as chief executive of Anthos.
Shaun Coughlin, Novartis’ global head of cardiovascular and metabolism, has joined Anthos as an observer to the board, while Craig Basson, Novartis’ head of cardiovascular and metabolism translational medicine, has joined the scientific advisory board.
Jay Bradner, president of Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, said: “The need for new medicines to treat cardiovascular diseases is clear, and this agreement is part of our strategy to work with innovators outside our walls to advance medicines that have the potential to have a positive impact for patients.
“Blackstone Life Sciences has the necessary experience and has assembled a first-class team at Anthos to drive the further development of MAA868.”
Blackstone Life Sciences is the result of Blackstone’s acquisition of life sciences investment firm Clarus Ventures in October last year. Clarus had $2.6bn under management at that point.
