Anima Attracts Takeda In Multibillion-Dollar mRNA Translation Modulators Deal For Neurological Diseases

Small-molecule mRNA translation Israeli firm Anima Biotech Inc has landed a new research deal with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd TAK, covering as many as six programs for genetically-defined neurological diseases.

• Two-part collaboration could hold as much as $2.3 billion in clinical and commercial milestone payouts.
• Under the deal, Anima will initially conduct preclinical research for Huntington’s disease and two other small molecule candidates and get $120 million upfront from Takeda.
• Takeda then has the option to expand the deal from three to six, which will open the door for the remaining $1.2 billion in milestones and tiered royalties.
• Anima has a licensing deal with another major pharma company, Eli Lilly. According to an agreement in July 2018, Anima worked on several undisclosed protein targets.
• Lilly paid out $30 million upfront and $14 million in research funding. Anima is eligible for up to $1.05 billion in milestones from this deal.
• So far in 2021, Takeda has offloaded two of its non-core units - the first portfolio, sold to Hasten Biopharmaceutic for $322 million in January. And last month, Takeda sold four type-2 diabetes products to Teijin Pharma for ¥133 billion.
• But in addition to these types of deals, Takeda is also plunking down big cash for licensing deals.
• Last October, Takeda penned a $300 million RNAi alliance with Arrowhead, promising more than $1 billion total. 
• In January, Takeda put up $100 million with up to $400 million in milestones for KSQ Therapeutics and its CRISPR-screened natural killer cell therapies. And earlier this week, Vivek Ramaswamy’s Genevant — an LNP delivery tech outfit — scored a $600 million deal with Takeda.
• Recently, Takeda paved the way to boost its immuno-oncology portfolio with the Maverick Therapeutics acquisition.
• Price Action: TAK shares are trading 0.13% lower at $19.50 in market trading hours on the last check Thursday.