GSK strikes £1.1bn deal for asthma drugmaker
GSK has bought a drug to treat severe asthma in a $1.4bn (£1.1bn) deal.
The pharmaceutical giant has reached an agreement to buy US company Aiolos Bio, which owns the rights to an antibody known as AIO-001.
The antibody can be used to treat adult patients with serious asthma and Aiolos is developing a drug that can be injected twice a year to cut inflammation in sufferers.
While still in medical trials, it is hoped the treatment will help patients cut down on the use of inhalers. In many severe cases, inhalers are already inadequate.
GSK is well-known for its respiratory products and made about £11bn in sales from respiratory medicines and vaccines in 2022.
However, its current asthma drugs, Nucala and Depemokimab, are only appropriate for 60pc of severe sufferers. The addition of Aiolos Bio will allow it to treat the other 40pc.
GSK will pay $1bn up front and then $400m depending on how the drug performs in medical trials.
AIO-001 has not yet been approved by regulators but will enter mid-stage trials soon.
Before approval, drugs must go through different stages of testing. It is currently Stage II, and it must pass Stage III tests to be approved and commercialised.
The deal will allow GSK to better compete with AstraZeneca, which also has a similar drug called Tezspire. However, AstraZeneca’s jab must be administered once a month.
GSK hopes the less frequent use of AIO-001 will appeal to doctors and patients. There are an estimated 315 million patients living with asthma around the world.
GSK chief scientific officer Tony Wood, said: “We have a proud heritage and deep development expertise in respiratory medicines.”
Aiolos Bio chief executive Khurem Farooq said: “By uniting with GSK, a leader with decades of experience developing respiratory therapies and a shared commitment to improving patient lives, we’re confident that we can rapidly advance this therapy in the hopes of significantly reducing the treatment burden for patients.”
Aiolos Bio was founded only last year but has raised $245 million from venture capital investors such as Atlas Venture and Bain Capital Life Sciences.
Aiolos licences AIO-001 for use outside China from Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals and GSK is effectively buying the licence from Aiolos.
