Novartis has agreed to purchase research assets from IFM Therapeutics, which specializes in drug development for inflammatory disorders and cancers.
Specifically, the Swiss drugmaker is buying IFM Tre, a subsidiary with one molecule in a phase 1 trial and several others in early development. The Novartis purchase will help the company bolster its immunology pipeline with potential treatments targeting gout, inflammatory bowel disease and fatty liver disease in its portfolio. IFM Tre’s treatments have been shown to stop disease-causing inflammation without disrupting the rest of the immune system.
Novartis will pay $310 million upfront for the purchase, but the deal could eventually be worth $1.6 billion.
Read the full Reuters report.