Date: 2013-01-08
Type of information: Company acquisition
Acquired company: Lotus Tissue Repair (USA)
Acquiring company: Shire (UK - USA)
Amount: undisclosed (upfront payment and certain contingent payments based on the achievement of certain safety and development milestones)
Terms: * On January 8, 2013, Shire has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Lotus Tissue Repair, a privately held biotechnology company developing the first and only protein replacement therapy currently being investigated for the treatment of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). Subject to customary government approvals, Shire will purchase the company for an upfront payment and certain contingent payments based on the achievement of certain safety and development milestones.
Shire’s Human Genetic Therapies business will undertake the further development of Lotus Tissue Repair’s lead product candidate, a proprietary recombinant form of human collagen Type VII (rC7), an intravenous protein replacement therapy for the treatment of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). The product is in late pre-clinical development and has the potential to be a first-in-class systemic therapy for the treatment of DEB. This acquisition expands Shire’s commitment to finding treatments for EB, which also includes ABH001, Shire’s Regenerative Medicine product currently being investigated as a dermal substitute therapy for the treatment of non-healing wounds in patients with EB. ABH001 is an engineered, human fibroblast-derived dermal substitute generated by culturing human neonatal dermal fibroblasts onto a bioresorbable polyglactin mesh scaffold. The PGLLA (poly(glycolide-co-L-lactide) mesh which serves as the scaffolding onto which fibroblasts are grown, they secrete dermal collagen, other extracellular matrix proteins, growth factors, and cytokines, creating a three-dimensional human tissue containing metabolically active living cells. The final product consists of a well-developed dermal matrix and evenly dispersed neonatal dermal fibroblasts.
Details: Dr. Mei Chen and Dr. David Woodley, co-founders of Lotus Tissue Repair Inc., are the co-inventors of recombinant collagen type VII (rC7) technology and leading experts on its use as protein replacement therapy. Lotus is developing its rC7 technology as the first and only protein replacement therapy for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). This approach directly addresses a primary driver of the condition: deficiency or dysfunction of C7. Pre-clinical findings to date are promising, showing in multiple pre-clinical models that rC7 as a protein replacement therapy is potent, long-lasting, and is specifically retained in the skin and other affected tissues after intravenous injection.
Related: Rare diseases
