Bayer Boosts Women’s Healthcare with Kandy Buy
Kandy’s investigational compound NT-814 is undergoing trials for treating vasomotor symptoms during the menopause. The dual agonist of both the neurokinin-1 and 3 receptors modulates a group of estrogen-sensitive neurons in the brain’s hypothalamus, which in menopausal women become hyperactive, leading to uncontrollable hot flushes.
The compound has recently completed a Phase IIb study and a Phase III clinical trial is expected to start in 2021.
Bayer said that once the treatment is approved, it could potentially generate peak sales of more than €1 billion worldwide.
Under the terms of the deal, Bayer will pay $425 million upfront as well as make potential milestone payments of up to $450 million until launch, followed by potential additional sums amounting to triple digit millions on sale milestones.
The transaction remains subject to customary conditions, in particular anti-trust approval, but is expected to close by September.
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Bayer is to acquire UK biotech Kandy Therapeutics in a move that will expand its drug development pipeline in women’s healthcare. Kandy’s investigational compound NT-814 is undergoing trials for treating vasomotor symptoms during the menopause. The transaction is expected to close by September. (c) Bayer
“This acquisition is another testament to our commitment to the health of women, which not only broadens our pipeline, but has the potential, if approved, to deliver a new treatment option that could have a meaningful impact on women’s lives,” said Sebastian Guth, Bayer’s president of pharmaceuticals, Americas.
The Kandy acquisition is the latest in a string of deals that Bayer has done to expand its women’s healthcare offering. In January, the German life science group expanded its partnership with Evotec with a new five-year, multi-target collaboration to develop multiple clinical candidates for treating polycystic ovary syndrome.
That same month, Bayer signed an exclusive license agreement with Daré Bioscience for the US market, focused on its investigational, hormone-free, monthly vaginal contraceptive that is currently in clinical development for preventing pregnancy.
Kandy Therapeutics was founded in September 2017 as a spin-off from Nerre Therapeutics, itself spun out of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in 2012 as the UK pharma giant decided to withdraw from neuroscience R&D. GSK handed over its NK antagonist portfolio to Nerre Therapeutics, which subsequently demerged NT-814 into Kandy Therapeutics so that it focus on developing the NK-1RA pipeline.
Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist
