J&J sees value beyond lead prostate cancer program in $3B Halda takeout
Privately held Yale spinout delivered first-in-human data for RIPTAC molecule last month, spurring deal
Although initial clinical data from a prostate cancer program surely catalyzed J&J’s agreement to acquire privately held Halda, the pharma appears to be looking deeper into the start-up’s pipeline and RIPTAC platform to derive more value from the deal.
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) announced its proposed acquisition of Yale University spinout Halda Therapeutics OpCo Inc. for $3.05 billion, just weeks after the biotech presented data at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference in Boston showing that lead molecule HLD-0915 led to anti-tumor activity, including PSA reductions among patients receiving the therapy well as partial responses in all five evaluable patients with measurable disease at baseline, in a Phase I/II study to treat metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer...