AbbVie has acquired Celsius Therapeutics for $250 million, strenthening its inflammatory disease portfolio.
Celsius' lead asset, CEL383, is an anti-TREM1 antibody for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that has completed phase 1 clinical trials. TREM1 is a key gene in IBD, found in inflammatory monocytes and neutrophils, and amplifies inflammation. CEL383 targets TREM1, potentially reducing inflammatory mediators in IBD. AbbVie aims to develop CEL383 to improve remission rates in IBD patients.
Celsius, a biotech based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is focused on developing precision medicines for inflammatory diseases and cancer using its Single-Cell Observations for Precision Effect (SCOPE) platform. The company's pipeline also includes other precision therapies identified through their single-cell RNA sequencing and machine learning techniques.
Amidst regulatory hurdles with blockbuster-hopeful ABBV-951 — which was hit with its second CRL this week — AbbVie continues investing in partnerships and licensing deals. Earlier this month the drugmaker inked a deal with FutureGen Biopharmaceutical to develop, manufacture, and commercialize FG-M701, for IBD. FutureGen will receive $150 million upfront and potential milestone payments totaling $1.56 billion, along with royalties on net sales.