India’s biopharma power playstock.adobe.com
Mumbai, India-based Sun Pharma has acquired Checkpoint Therapeutics for $355 million in an all-cash transaction. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025.
Through this acquisition, the Indian firm has gained UNLOXCYT (cosibelimab-ipdl), a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment for metastatic or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (mcSCC).
“Combining UNLOXCYT with Sun Pharma’s global presence means patients with cSCC may soon have access to an important new treatment option. The acquisition further bolsters our innovative portfolio in onco-derm therapy,” said Dilip Shanghvi, managing director, Sun Pharma.
UNLOXCYT is a programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) blocking antibody indicated for the treatment of adults with mcSCC or locally advanced cSCC.
With an upfront cash payment of $4.10 per share, the deal could give Checkpoint shareholders up to an additional $0.70 per share in cash.
“I am proud of the dedication and passion of our team at Checkpoint that allowed us to achieve the first and only FDA-approved anti-PD-L1 treatment for patients with advanced cSCC, and we are excited to enter this transaction with Sun Pharma as the next step to bringing UNLOXCYT to cSCC patients in need of a differentiated immunotherapy treatment option,” said James Oliviero, president and CEO of Checkpoint.
Miltenyi’s CGT center now open
Miltenyi Biotec has opened its cell and gene therapy (CGT) center in Hyderabad, capital of the state of Telangana in India. The facility, which also houses Miltenyi’s office, will provide hands-on CGT training through all stages of development to commercialization. The firm aims to bring centralized chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)- T therapy to hospitals across India.
hrough this move, the German firm brings its CliniMACS Prodigy platform to India for development and production of CGTs.
“Fostering knowledge exchange will be vital for CGT advancement by forging public–private partnerships like our recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) as a CGT partner as well as collaborations between academic and industry partners,” said Boris Stoffel, managing director, Miltenyi Biotec.
“We have a single-minded focus to drive accessibility, affordability, and availability of CGT therapies by local development and manufacturing in India.”
Headquartered in Bergisch Gladbach, Rhineland, Germany, the firm signed a MoU with the Indian government to bring CGT services to the country in February 2024. Under the MoU, Miltenyi partnered with Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) as a CGT partner, to catalyze the development of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapies and bring them to hospitals across the country.
“I am delighted to note that Miltenyi Biotec has chosen Hyderabad to set-up their first Innovation and Technology Center. I’m also happy to note that the center will offer training in cell and gene therapy to academia and industry, which aligns with our vision of skilling university,” added Anumula Revanth Reddy, chief minister, Telangana.
Quantoom Bio, TechInvention join forces for RNA vaccine development
Quantoom Biosciences has partnered with Indian firm TechInvention Lifecare to bring affordable RNA-based vaccines to India. Through this partnership, TechInvention expects to be GMP-ready by the end of 2025.
As per the MoU, TechInvention will gain access to Quantoom’s RNA N-Force toolbox, Ntensify product, and Ncapsulate technology. Moreover, TechInvention will use the Belgian firm’s translation research and manufacturing capabilities to develop and commercialize novel RNA-based products.
“We are excited to bring Quantoom’s cutting-edge mRNA technology to India, revolutionizing RNA drugs development and manufacturing,” said Syed Ahmed, director and CEO, TechInvention.
“This partnership is a significant step toward strengthening India’s preparedness for future pandemics while ensuring broader access to RNA-based innovations across LMICs (low- and middle-income countries).”
In a similar move, Quantoom partnered with Korean contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) ST Pharm to produce mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics in August last year.
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Journalist covering the manufacturing and processing sectors for biopharmaceuticals globally.
Originally from India, I am a Londoner at heart. I have recently graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London.
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