Novartis Deal May Lead To Cellerys Sale
Novartis has signed a collaboration agreement and option to acquire Cellerys, a Zurich-based startup conducting research on a therapy to fight multiple sclerosis (MS), the Swiss drugmaker announced on Tuesday, June 1.
“Under the agreement, Novartis will support the development of the CLS12311 therapy currently in Phase 2” study, the Basel-based drugmaker said in a statement. “Novartis will have the option to acquire Cellerys upon completion of a Phase 2 trial in the coming years.”
Cellerys was founded in 2015 as a University of Zurich spin-out by MS researchers. No financial details for the transaction were given by Novartis.
Novartis is not, of course, a stranger to MS research itself, having several major new drugs on the market in the form of its leukemia med Kesimpta (ofatumumab)—which is rejigged as an injectable treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis and nabbed an FDA approval last year—as well as Mayzent (siponimod) for secondary progressive MS with active disease.
It also markets Gilenya, its now aging MS drug, and has over the years signed up to move into areas beyond meds including its Pear Therapeutics pact for an MS app and its Siemens collab to help provide diagnostic tests for its MS drugs.
June 1, 2021
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