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 […]

Woburn-based CONTINUUS Pharmaceuticals has won a $69.3 million U.S. government contract to facilitate domestic production of three medicines used to treat critically ill patients, including those with COVID-19. “…In addition to streamlining continuous, environmentally friendly, and cost-efficient production of these medicines, this contract will help us build a state-of-the-art facility that will address urgent pharmaceutical supply chain […]

Biogen and Eisai have announced that the FDA has extended the review period by three months for the Biologics License Application (BLA) for aducanumab, an investigational treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The new action date is June 7, 2021. If approved, aducanumab would be the first treatment to meaningfully change the course of the disease for […]

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced plans to acquire Mesa Biotech, a privately held molecular diagnostic company, for approximately $450 million in cash. Under the terms of the agreement, Thermo Fisher will pay up to an additional $100 million in cash upon the completion of certain milestones following the close of the transaction which is expected to take place in Q1 2021. […]

BioMed Realty, a leading provider of real estate solutions to the life science and technology industries, has announced the acquisition of an existing 162,000 square foot office building and adjacent 7.5 acre site at Assembly Square in Somerville. The Assembly Square campus will be developed in phases and represents a total of 1.3 million square […]

Fujifilm Corporation and The Massachusetts Center for Advanced Biological Innovation and Manufacturing (CABIM) have secured 76M in financing and signed a lease for a 40,000 square-foot site in Watertown at The Arsenal on the Charles. The Center will advance research and development in cell and gene therapy, gene editing, immunotherapy, and biotechnology. Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, […]