Novartis To Beef Up Heart Disease Offering With $3 Billion Blackstone-Backed Anthos Therapeutics Deal

On Tuesday, Novartis AG NVS agreed to acquire Anthos Therapeutics, Inc., a Boston-based, privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company.

Anthos is developing abelacimab, a late-stage medicine to prevent stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, that occurs when the upper chambers of the heart beat irregularly.

Novartis will pay an upfront payment of $925 million and potential additional payments of up to $2.15 billion upon achieving specified regulatory and sales milestones.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2025.

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The transaction aligns with Novartis' growth strategy and therapeutic area focus, leveraging the company's strength and expertise in the cardiovascular area.

Anthos Therapeutics, launched by Blackstone Life Sciences and Novartis in 2019, has advanced abelacimab through clinical development under a license from Novartis.

Abelacimab is a fully human monoclonal antibody designed to induce effective hemostasis-sparing anticoagulation through Factor XI inhibition.

Phase 2 data showed a significant reduction in bleeding events in patients taking abelacimab versus a standard-of-care direct-oral anticoagulant in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Three Phase 3 trials are ongoing for patients at risk of arterial and venous clots, one in patients with atrial fibrillation and two in cancer-associated thrombosis.

In July 2022 abelacimab received an FDA Fast Track Designation for thrombosis associated with cancer.

In September 2022, abelacimab was also granted a Fast Track Designation for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation.

In November, Novartis acquired Kate Therapeutics to enhance and strengthen its portfolio of gene therapies.

Kate Therapeutics is a San Diego-based, preclinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies to treat genetically defined neuromuscular diseases.

The transaction value is up to $1.1 billion, comprising an upfront payment and potential additional milestone payments.

Price Action: NVS stock is down 0.31% at $106.52 during the premarket session on last check Tuesday.

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