Calimmune, a US-based gene therapy developer backed by an undisclosed pharmaceutical firm, is set to be acquired by biopharmaceutical firm CSL Behring for an upfront payment of $91m.
CSL Behring may pay up to an additional $325m in milestone payments over a period of approximately eight years following the transaction, which is expected to close within two weeks.
Founded in 2006, Calimmune is working on a gene therapy for sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia, inherited, chronic disorders that affect the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The two conditions significantly impact the proper function of several organs.
CSL Behring hopes Cal-H, a preclinical candidate for the two diseases, will completement its current product portfolio. The company will also make use of Calimmune’s two platforms, Select+ and Cytegrity, which aim to address challenges currently associated with stem cell therapy.
Calimmune collected $15m in series B funding led by an undisclosed large pharmaceutical company in 2015. The round also included Alexandria Venture Investments, RA Capital Management and Translational Accelerator.
The company has not disclosed details about earlier funding rounds apart from RA Capital’s and Translational Accelerator’s involvement. Non-profit organisation Desert Angels is also a shareholder.
Louis Breton, chief executive of Calimmune, said: “We are excited to become part of CSL Behring. They are an established global industry leader in protein-replacement therapies and have a proven track record of driving innovations through the development pipeline and delivering differentiated products to the global marketplace.
“Together, we are well positioned to take our achievements to the next level.”