FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced the completion of the previously announced transaction to acquire MiroBio, a privately held U.K.-based biotechnology company focused on restoring immune balance with agonists targeting immune inhibitory receptors, for approximately $405 million in cash. The acquisition provides Gilead with MiroBio’s proprietary discovery platform and entire portfolio of immune inhibitory receptor agonists. MiroBio’s lead investigational antibody, MB272, is a selective agonist of immune inhibitory receptor B- and T-Lymphocyte Attenuator (BTLA) and has entered Phase 1 clinical trials, with the first patient dosed in early August 2022. MB272 targets T, B and dendritic cells to inhibit or blunt activation and suppress an inflammatory immune response.
MiroBio was spun out of the University of Oxford in 2019 to develop a new class of medicines, called immune checkpoint agonists, to treat autoimmune diseases by restoring balance to the immune system. The company was co-founded by OSE and Tim Funnell, OSE’s entrepreneur in residence at the time, and Samsara BioCapital, working closely with MiroBio’s scientific founders – Simon Davis, professor of Molecular Immunology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, and Richard Cornall, Nuffield professor of Clinical Medicine.
For $405 million, Gilead will buy MiroBio, an Oxford spinout which just a month ago announced its £80 million Series B round. MiroBio chair Eliot Charles had told Endpoints News then that the biotech was looking for a new CEO, but it appears it won’t need to do that anymore.
MiroBio Raises $97 Million Series B Financing to Develop Checkpoint Agonists for Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases Financing led by Medicxi with significant participation from new and existing...
After about 15 years in an Oxford lab and three more years in the upstart world following a 2019 spinout, MiroBio is ready to enter UK clinical trials and, en route to the clinic, the biotech has picked up $97 million in Series B funds.
Sanjay Keswani, MBBS, FRCP to join company as Chief Medical Officer bringing extensive experience in drug development and life sciences leadershipLynne Murray, Ph.D., MBA appointed as Chief Scientific...
Barth joins the preclinical autoimmune biotech from Novartis, where she spent a 17-year run. Barth was most recently leader of commercial and pipeline strategy for Novartis' cell and gene therapies unit. Barth will now lead MiroBio as it gears up for its first clinical trial early next year. The company's work centers on 15 years of research at University of Oxford.
As MiroBio gears up for its first clinical trial, the autoimmune biotech is getting a new CEO: Carolin Barth, M.D., joins after a 17-year run at Novartis, where she most recently led commercial and pipeline strategy for cell and gene therapies.