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2 September 2022AmericasStaff Writer

Novo Nordisk makes $1.1bn bid for biopharma company

Massachusetts-based target company specialises in rare blood disorders | Deal gives Novo Nordisk access to lead development candidate, etavopivat.

Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk is set to pay $1.1 billion to acquire Forma Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on sickle cell disease (SCD) and rare blood disorders.

In an announcement shared yesterday, September 1, Novo Nordisk said that the acquisition is aligned with its “strategy to complement and accelerate its scientific presence and pipeline in haemoglobinopathies, a group of disorders in which there is abnormal production or structure of the haemoglobin protein in the red blood cells”.

Ludovic Helfgott, executive vice president and head of Rare Disease at Novo Nordisk, said: “Novo Nordisk has worked for more than 40 years to develop and deliver transformative medicines to patients around the world with rare and devastating diseases.

"By adding Forma’s differentiated approach to address unmet needs for patients, we are taking a step forward in enhancing our sickle cell disease pipeline. We have an ambition to build a leading portfolio with standalone and combination treatments to tackle the complications and underlying causes of sickle cell disease.”

As part of the deal, Novo Nordisk gains access to Forma’s lead development candidate etavopivat.

Etavopivat is an investigational selective pyruvate kinase-R activator, which is being developed to improve anaemia and red blood cell health in people with sickle cell disease. The drug is currently being evaluated in a global phase 2/3 clinical trial in patients with sickle cell disease, and in a phase 2 trial in patients with transfusion-dependent sickle cell disease and another inherited haemoglobinopathy called thalassemia.

Frank Lee, president and chief executive officer of Forma, said that the deal is “an exciting milestone that accelerates Forma’s purpose to transform the lives of patients with sickle cell disease and other serious haematological diseases”.

Just last month, Pfizer bolstered its own haematology expertise with a $5.4 billion deal to acquire Global Blood Therapeutics.

That deal sees Pfizer gain sickle cell disease treatment Oxbryta (voxelotor), alongside two experimental medicines for the blood condition. Sales of Oxbryta hit $55.2 million in the first quarter of 2022.

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More on this story

Generics
24 March 2022   Novo Nordisk and Sandoz have settled an ongoing patent dispute over the blockbuster diabetes treatment Victoza before the companies were meant to face trial in April.
Americas
9 August 2022   Pharma giant to acquire biopharma firm specialising in sickle cell treatment | Key treatment will be distributed to countries most impacted by the disease.
Big Pharma
2 November 2022   Cardiovascular ‘innovator’ snapped up as company strengthens medtech offering | Massachusetts-based Abiomed will become part of purchaser’s medtech division