Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) has acquired the private company EpiTherapeuticsApS in a deal worth $65 million. The deal gives Gilead a foothold in the field of epigenetics.
The Denmark-based EpiTherapeutics develops cancer therapy and focuses on enzymes involved in the regulation of transcription in cancer. Gilead already has two drugs for hepatitis C, Harvoni and Sovaldi. The two drugs have generated sales of about $4.45 billion for Gilead in 1Q2015.
Sovaldi and Harvoni are two of the most successful launches ever. The drugs have fewer side effects and high price tags. The drugs face increasing competition from new hepatitis C treatments like Viekira Pak.
The deal adds to Gilead’s drug pipeline with preclinical, firs in class small molecule inhibitors of enzymes involved in regulating gene transcription in cancer. The enzymes constitute a therapy class that represents a strategic fit with the existing research portfolio.
EpiTherapeutics has not revealed much about its compounds. He company’s site says that the pipeline building efforts are based knowledge within histone demethylases and methyltransferases as well as efforts to identify small molecule inhibitors of key enzymes within the family targeting unmet medical needs.
Gilead has eight compounds under development for 11 hematology and oncology indications. 2 of the compounds have advanced to Phase III.
EpiTherapeutics is studying its lead preclinical compounds for the treatment of unspecified cancers. EpiTHerapeutics’ therapies are based on research by Professor KristianHelin and his research team at Biotech Research & Innovation Centre at te University of Copenhagen.
EpiTherapeutics was launched in 2008 with initial financing that later grew to $ 2.3 million and included investment by the largest Venture Capital seed fund in Denmark, the SEED Capital. Since then EpiTherapeutics has gotten investment from VC arms of several biopharma giants like Lundbeckfond Emerge, Astellas Venture Management and Merck KGaA’s MS Ventures.
