Novartis is handing over $310 million up front to acquire IFM Therapeutics’ inflammation-centered subsidiary, IFM Tre. The deal includes up to $1.265 billion in milestones and gives Novartis access to one clinical and two preclinical NLRP3 antagonist programs from IFM Tre.
Specifically, Novartis is getting its hands on IFM-2427, in clinical development for chronic inflammatory disorders, including atherosclerosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). It’s also picking up two earlier-stage programs: a gut-directed molecule for inflammatory bowel disease and a central nervous system-penetrant molecule, IFM Therapeutics said in a statement Monday. The deal is slated to close in the second quarter.
NLRP3 inflammasomes are protein complexes that are part of the body’s natural defense against pathogens. They are responsible for activating the inflammatory response, which releases interleukins to combat infection. Diet, environmental stresses or genetics can knock this process off-balance, driving the onset and progression of various conditions, such as metabolic, fibrotic, autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease.
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Targeting the NLRP3 pathway could be particularly useful, as it allows for the treatment of symptoms without interfering in other immune pathways, avoiding the side effects that come with systemic immunosuppression, the company said. The other immune pathways are free to launch inflammatory responses against harmful pathogens.
IFM Tre's lead candidate blocks NLRP3 activity by binding to it outside the central nervous system, the company said when it raised its $31 million series A in July 2018. This prevents a shape change that leads to the maturation of the interleukins IL-1 and IL-18.
“IFM Tre’s compounds have demonstrated that they can fine-tune the immune system, offering a potentially potent approach for treating a large variety of diseases associated with inflammation,” Jay Bradner, president of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), said in the statement. “We look forward to applying our deep expertise in this field to advancing these medicines through the clinic and to patients who need them.”
Specifically, Novartis is getting its hands on IFM-2427, in clinical development for chronic inflammatory disorders, including atherosclerosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). It’s also picking up two earlier-stage programs: a gut-directed molecule for inflammatory bowel disease and a central nervous system-penetrant molecule, IFM Therapeutics said in a statement Monday. The deal is slated to close in the second quarter.
NLRP3 inflammasomes are protein complexes that are part of the body’s natural defense against pathogens. They are responsible for activating the inflammatory response, which releases interleukins to combat infection. Diet, environmental stresses or genetics can knock this process off-balance, driving the onset and progression of various conditions, such as metabolic, fibrotic, autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease.
RELATED: Nodthera nets $40M to take on chronic inflammation
Targeting the NLRP3 pathway could be particularly useful, as it allows for the treatment of symptoms without interfering in other immune pathways, avoiding the side effects that come with systemic immunosuppression, the company said. The other immune pathways are free to launch inflammatory responses against harmful pathogens.
IFM Tre's lead candidate blocks NLRP3 activity by binding to it outside the central nervous system, the company said when it raised its $31 million series A in July 2018. This prevents a shape change that leads to the maturation of the interleukins IL-1 and IL-18.
“IFM Tre’s compounds have demonstrated that they can fine-tune the immune system, offering a potentially potent approach for treating a large variety of diseases associated with inflammation,” Jay Bradner, president of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), said in the statement. “We look forward to applying our deep expertise in this field to advancing these medicines through the clinic and to patients who need them.”
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