Johnson & Johnson announced that it has agreed to acquire Halda Therapeutics OpCo, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company with a proprietary regulated induced proximity targeting chimera (RIPTAC) platform to develop oral, targeted therapies for multiple types of solid tumors, including prostate cancer, for $3.05 billion in cash.
The deal is expected to close within the next few months, subject to antitrust clearance and other customary closing conditions.
The lead candidate, HLD-0915, is a clinical-stage therapy for prostate cancer, of which new diagnoses are projected to reach 1.7 million globally by 2030. Given the existing unmet need, this once-daily therapy has the potential to transform patient outcomes with its novel precision cancer cell-killing approach that can overcome mechanisms of resistance to treatment.
The acquisition also includes several earlier candidates for breast, lung and multiple other tumor types. Halda’s pipeline and platform may also enable the creation of novel targeted therapies beyond oncology.
“This acquisition further strengthens our deep oncology pipeline with an exciting lead asset in prostate cancer and a platform capable of treating multiple cancers and diseases beyond oncology, providing a potential mid- and long-term catalyst for growth,” said Jennifer Taubert, executive vice president, worldwide chairman, Innovative Medicine, Johnson & Johnson.
“We look forward to combining Halda’s pipeline, platform and people with our world-class R&D, commercial and manufacturing capabilities and advancing our goal of bringing these therapies to patients around the world.”
“Many therapies lose effectiveness over time due to resistance. Halda’s innovative technology is designed to work even when cancers no longer respond to standard treatments using a novel mechanism that enables the selective killing of cancer cells,” said John C. Reed, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president, Innovative Medicine, R&D, Johnson & Johnson.
“Results seen with HLD-0915 demonstrate impressive preliminary efficacy and a strong early safety profile in prostate cancer. We are eager to accelerate the ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial of HLD-0915 and progress a pipeline of novel product candidates based on RIPTAC technology.”
The planned acquisition underscores Johnson & Johnson’s long-standing commitment to prostate cancer and its industry-leading oncology portfolio, adding new therapies with novel and complementary mechanisms of action. Halda’s pipeline of differentiated assets, if successful, will provide critical new options for patients.
