Biogen has expanded its specialty immunology pipeline with an agreement to buy Human Immunology Biosciences (HI-Bio) and its lead drug felzartamab, in trials for a range of diseases including IgA nephropathy (IgAN).

Biogen扩大了其专业免疫学渠道，同意购买人类免疫学生物科学（HI-Bio）及其先导药物felzartamab，用于包括IgA肾病（IgAN）在内的一系列疾病的试验。

The $1.8 billion deal – which comes just weeks after Biogen chief executive Chris Viehbacher said the company wasn’t expecting to sign any large deals this year in its first-quarter results update – breaks down to an upfront payment of $1.15 billion with another $650 million in milestones tiled to felzartamab’s development..

这项18亿美元的交易发生在Biogen首席执行官克里斯·维赫巴赫（ChrisViehbacher）表示公司预计今年第一季度业绩更新中不会签署任何大型交易后的几周，该交易分解为11.5亿美元的预付款，另外还有6.5亿美元的里程碑用于felzartamab的发展。。

Felzartamab is an anti-CD38 antibody that HI-Bio licensed in 2022 from German biotech MorphoSys, which is in the process of being acquired by Swiss pharma group Novartis and holds a 15% stake in the South San Francisco-based biotech. The drug is in mid-stage clinical trials for IgAN as well as primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) and antibody-mediated transplant rejection, and in phase 1 for lupus nephritis..

Felzartamab是一种抗CD38抗体，HI Bio于2022年从德国生物技术公司MorphoSys获得许可，该公司正在被瑞士制药集团诺华收购，并持有位于南旧金山的生物技术公司15%的股份。该药物正在进行IgAN、原发性膜性肾病（PMN）和抗体介导的移植排斥反应的中期临床试验，狼疮性肾炎的第一阶段临床试验。。

CD38 is found on plasma cells – B-lymphocytes whose main function is to generate antibodies – so felzartamab could have broad utility in immune-mediated diseases (IMDs) driven by antibody responses against normal human tissues.

CD38存在于浆细胞（主要功能是产生抗体的B淋巴细胞）上，因此felzartamab可能在针对正常人体组织的抗体反应驱动的免疫介导疾病（IMD）中具有广泛的用途。

Biogen’s clinical-stage immunology pipeline is fairly small, consisting of UCB-partnered anti-CD40L antibody dapirolizumab pegol in phase 3 for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and anti-BDCA2 antibody litifilimab in phase 3 for SLE and phase 2 for cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE).

Biogen的临床阶段免疫学管道相当小，由UCB合作的抗CD40L抗体dapirolizumab pegol在系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）的3期和抗BDCA2抗体litifilimab在SLE的3期和皮肤红斑狼疮（CLE）的2期组成。

Priya Singhal, head of development at Biogen, said in a statement that felzartamab would be a “strategic addition” to the company’s portfolio “as we continue to augment our pipeline and build on our expertise in immunology.”

Biogen开发主管Priya Singhal在一份声明中表示，felzartamab将是该公司投资组合的“战略性补充”，“因为我们将继续扩大我们的渠道，并建立在免疫学专业知识的基础上。”

Aside from felzartamab, HI-Bio’s pipeline also includes anti-C5aR1 antibody izastobart, which is in early-stage clinical testing and has potential in complement-mediated diseases, and an undisclosed programme targeting mast cells, which are a key component of inflammation and allergic reactions.

除felzartamab外，HI-Bio的管道还包括抗C5aR1抗体izastobart，该抗体处于早期临床测试阶段，在补体介导的疾病中具有潜力，以及针对肥大细胞的未公开计划，肥大细胞是炎症和过敏反应的关键组成部分。

The addition of felzartamab – which has completed phase 2 testing in IgAN and PMN and is being prepared for phase 3 – comes at a time when Biogen has been ringing the changes in its R&D pipeline.

felzartamab已经完成了IgAN和PMN的第二阶段测试，并正在为第三阶段做准备。felzartamab的加入正值Biogen正在调整其研发渠道。

Last week, the company discontinued the development of antisense drugs BIIB121 for Angelman syndrome and BIIB105 for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), both developed in partnership with Ionis, while in September it closed the $7.3 billion acquisition of Reata Pharma, adding an FDA-approved therapy for Friedreich’s ataxia..

上周，该公司停止了与Ionis合作开发的用于Angelman综合征的反义药物BIIB121和用于肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）的反义药物BIIB105的开发，而9月，该公司完成了以73亿美元收购Reata Pharma的交易，增加了FDA批准的治疗Friedreich共济失调的药物。。

It has been adding to its late-stage pipeline to help offset a slow rollout of Eisai-partnered Alzheimer’s disease therapy Leqembi (lecanemab) – although that may now be starting to gather momentum – as well as a multiple sclerosis franchise that is being hit hard by generic competition, declining sales of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) therapy Spinraza (nusinersen) due to competition from newer therapies, and the recent failure of oral MS drug orelabrutinib..

它一直在增加其后期产品线，以抵消卫材合作的阿尔茨海默病治疗药物Leqembi（lecanemab）的缓慢推出，尽管现在可能开始积聚势头，以及多发性硬化症特许经营受到仿制药竞争的严重冲击，由于新疗法的竞争，脊髓性肌萎缩症（SMA）治疗Spinraza（nusinersen）的销售下降，以及口服MS药物orelabrutinib最近的失败。。