In the face of ever-changing circumstances, technological innovation remains the eternal driving force behind the long-term growth of biopharmaceutical companies. It continuously breathes life into these enterprises, enabling them to successfully transition from concept to reality in research and development, and ultimately achieve commercial success. Recently, there have been exciting developments in Viva’s investment and incubation enterprises: DTx Pharma has reached an acquisition agreement with Novartis; Riparian has signed an exclusive licensing and research agreement with Pfizer; Arthrosi has completed a round of financing;
Riparian Pharmaceuticals Announces Exclusive License Agreement and Research Agreement with Pfizer for Novel Cardiovascular Programs
WATERTOWN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Riparian Pharmaceuticals, a Viva Biotech portfolio company, is a biotechnology company focused on discovering novel therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases. Riparian today announced it has entered into an exclusive license agreement and research agreement with Pfizer. In exchange for exclusive rights to a Riparian preclinical program, Pfizer will make upfront and milestone payments, as well as pay royalties on sales of resulting therapeutics. As part of the research agreement, Pfizer will support Riparian’s efforts to discover further drug targets leading to vasoprotection and will have an option on such targets.
Dr. Zhixiong Ye, CSO of Viva Biotech, said, “Since September 2018, Viva Biotech has been investing and incubating Riparian, embarking on a long-term collaboration with their team in the discovery of novel targets, as well as compound design, synthesis, and testing. Leveraging our years of experience in First-in-class drug development and unique platform advantages, combined with our comprehensive one-stop service capabilities, we have supported Riparian in developing high-quality clinical drug candidates under the guidance of our seasoned team of scientists.”
DTx Pharma Reached the Acquisition Agreement with Novartis
SAN DIEGO, July 17, 2023 -- DTx Pharma, invested and incubated by Viva BioInnovator (VBI), is a preclinical stage biotechnology company addressing the delivery challenges of oligonucleotide therapeutics with its Fatty Acid Ligand Conjugated OligoNucleotide (FALCON™) platform. DTx Pharma utilizes its groundbreaking FALCON™ platform, a conjugated oligonucleotide technology using fatty acid ligands, to tackle the delivery challenges of oligonucleotide therapies. According to the terms of the agreement, Novartis will provide an upfront payment of $500 million, with an additional payment of up to $500 million upon the achievement of specified milestones.
The FALCON platform represents a significant advancement as it facilitates the delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutic drugs to tissues beyond the liver, enhancing their activity and enabling more effective biologic distribution and cellular uptake of siRNA drugs.
Notably, DTx Pharma’s lead pipeline candidate, DTx-1252, is currently undergoing preclinical development and has obtained FDA orphan drug designation for treating Type 1A Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT1A). In addition to the promising CMT1A project, Novartis will also gain exclusive rights to the FALCON platform and two other early-stage projects aimed at addressing neuro-muscular and central nervous system indications.
Dr. Han Dai, CIO of Viva Biotech and head of Viva BioInnovator, stated, “We are thrilled to have been a part of DTx Pharma’s growth story, supporting them from concept validation to preclinical research, and actively participating in multiple rounds of financing. This acquisition is yet another testament to the strategic foresight and expert post-investment support provided by Viva’s investment team.”
Arthrosi Secures $75M in Series D Financing
SAN DIEGO, July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthrosi Therapeutics, invested and incubated by Viva BioInnovator (VBI), is a clinical-stage biotechnology company. Recently they announced the successful securing of $75 million in Series D financing. This round is led by Guangrun Health Industry (Hong Kong) Co. Limited and backed by a consortium of investors, including Reichstein Biotech (HK) Co. Limited, a subsidiary of ApicHope Pharmaceuticals. The participation of these notable investors underscores their continued confidence and commitment to the development of AR882. This financing represents another milestone in the development of AR882, a highly potent and selective next-gen URAT1 inhibitor delivered in a once-daily immediate-release oral capsule. AR882 has the potential to change the treatment paradigm for gout, addressing critical aspects such as serum uric acid (sUA) levels, flares, and tophi reduction.
