Timing’s everything: Novartis pays $925m to buy Anthos and bring back Phase III mAbTiming’s everything: Novartis pays $925m to buy Anthos and bring back Phase III mAb

“Ever since licencing abelacimab to Anthos in 2019, we continued to monitor the progress of the medicine, and now is the right time to bring it back to Novartis,” a spokesperson for Novartis told BioXconomy.

Boston-based Anthos is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical firm. The company is developing abelacimab, a Phase III monoclonal antibody (mAb) with the lead indication for preventing strokes and systemic embolism in individuals with atrial fibrillation.

Novartis said its decision to acquire Anthos (originally launched by Blackstone Life Sciences and Novartis) and add back its late-stage asset abelacimab aligns with the firm’s strategic focus on the cardiovascular therapeutic development.

“We are proud that this medicine originated at Novartis and have been impressed with the Anthos’ team’s expertise and dedication and with the great progress they have made on the program,” the spokesperson said.

“We believe now is the right time to bring the asset back into Novartis, where we have the resources and capabilities to complete Phase III development and potentially launch with our evolved therapeutic areas of focus, with atrial fibrillation being an area of interest for our Cardiovascular Renal Metabolic therapeutic area.”

Novartis will pay $925 million upfront and has the potential to pay out up to $2.1 billion in additional payments based on regulatory and sales milestones. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2025, pending customary closing conditions.