Biogen is joining the industry’s fervor over immune and inflammatory disease drug development with a new acquisition.
The Cambridge, Mass., drugmaker announced Wednesday that it will acquire Human Immunology Biosciences, or HI-Bio, for $1.15 billion and up to $650 million in additional payments if certain milestones are met.
HI-Bio, which is based in San Francisco, is developing therapies for immune-mediated diseases like primary membranous nephropathy and IgA nephropathy, both of which impact kidney function. The startup’s lead drug, felzartamab, is a monoclonal antibody that selectively depletes CD38+ and natural killer cells in the hopes of alleviating the disease’s effects. It has already completed Phase 2 studies.
