Eli Lilly to Acquire Radiopharmaceutical Company Point Biopharma for $1.4 Billion
Eli Lilly announced that it is acquiring radiopharmaceutical company Point Biopharma for $12.50 per share in cash, valuing the deal at approximately $1.4 billion. Point has pipeline of clinical and preclinical-stage radioligand therapies in development for the treatment of cancer. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both Indianapolis-based US companies.
Radioligand therapy can enable the precise targeting of cancer by linking a radioisotope to a targeting molecule that delivers radiation directly to cancer cells, enabling significant anti-tumor efficacy while limiting the impact to healthy tissue.
Point's lead programs are in late-phase development. PNT20021 is a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeted radioligand therapy in development for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) after progression on hormonal treatment. Topline data from this study are expected in the fourth quarter of 2023. PNT20031 is a somatostatin receptor (SSTR) targeted radioligand therapy in development for the treatment of patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs).
Beyond the late-stage clinical pipeline, Point has several additional programs in earlier stages of clinical and preclinical development. Additionally, Point operates a 180,000-square-foot radiopharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Indianapolis, as well as a radiopharmaceutical research and development center in Toronto.
The transaction is expected to close near the end of 2023, subject to customary closing conditions. Following the successful closing of the tender offer, Lilly wants to acquire any shares of Point that are not tendered in the tender offer through a second-step merger at the same consideration as paid in the tender offer.
The purchase price payable at closing represents a premium of approximately 87% to Point's closing stock price on Oct. 2, 2023, the last trading day before the announcement of the transaction, and 68% to the 30-day volume-weighted average price.
"Over the past few years, we have seen how well-designed radiopharmaceuticals can demonstrate meaningful results for patients with cancer and rapidly integrate into standards of care, yet the field remains in the early days of the impact it may ultimately deliver," said Jacob Van Naarden, president of Loxo, the oncology unit of Eli Lilly. "We are excited by the potential of this emerging modality and see the acquisition of Point as the beginning of our investment in developing multiple meaningful radioligand medicines for hard-to-treat cancers, as we have done in small molecule and biologic oncology drug discovery and development."
Joe McCann, CEO of Point, added: "The combination of Point's team, infrastructure and capabilities with Lilly's global resources and experience could significantly accelerate the discovery, development and global access to radiopharmaceuticals."
