Merck and Watertown-based Pandion Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech developing novel therapeutics targeting autoimmune diseases, have agreed that Merck will acquire Pandion for $60 per share or approximately $1.85 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2021. Pandion is advancing a pipeline of precision immune modulators targeting critical immune control nodes. […]

Gene-editing biotech Beam Therapeutics has acquired Guide Therapeutics, a developer of nonviral drug delivery vehicles for genetic medicines, further expanding the potential reach of Beam’s genetic medicines into new target tissues and diseases. “Since our founding, Beam’s strategy has been to establish the leading, fully integrated platform for precision genetic medicine,” said Beam CEO John […]

Boston-based Ensoma, formally launched in early February, has entered into a strategic collaboration with Takeda. The agreement grants Takeda an exclusive worldwide license to Ensoma’s Engenious™ vectors for up to five rare disease indications. Takeda will make an equity investment of $10 million in Ensoma’s Series A Preferred Stock with the potential for $100 million […]

National Resilience, a biotech newcomer launched in November 2020 and headquartered in Boston and San Diego, is poised to purchase the Sanofi bio-manufacturing plant in Allston. According to its website, Resilience “will actively invest in developing powerful new technologies to manufacture complex medicines that are defining the future of therapeutics, including cell and gene therapies, […]

Curevac and GlaxoSmithKline will partner to jointly develop next generation mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 with the potential for a multi-valent approach to address multiple emerging variants in one vaccine. GSK will also support the manufacture of up to 100 million doses of CureVac’s first generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate CVnCoV in 2021. Through this new exclusive […]