Date: 0000-00-00
Type of information: Company acquisition
Acquired company: Universal Cells (USA - WA)
Acquiring company: Astellas Pharma (Japan)
Amount: up to $102.5 million
Terms:
- • On February 13, 2018, Astellas Pharma and Universal Cells announced that Astellas has acquired Universal Cells. Astellas will pay up to $102.5 million of upfront and milestones to acquire 100 percent ownership of Universal Cells depending on achievement of certain specified clinical milestones. Universal Cells has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astellas following the close of the acquisition. The impact of this transaction on Astellas’ financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018 will be immaterial.
- Astellas will gain Universal Cells’ proprietary Universal Donor Cell technology to create cell therapy products that do not require Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) matching, potentially overcoming a huge treatment challenge by reducing the risk of rejection.
Details:
- The Astellas Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AIRM) was established in May 2016 following Astellas’ acquisition of Ocata Therapeutics. Headquartered in Marlborough, Mass., and supported by a research team in Tsukuba, Japan, AIRM is Astellas’ global hub for regenerative medicine and cell therapy research in ophthalmology and other therapeutic areas that have few or no available treatment options. In October 2017, the AIRM and Universal Cells entered into an exclusive license agreement to utilize Universal Donor Cell technology in a single indication. This acquisition now enables Astellas to fully utilize this proprietary technology in even more therapeutic areas.
Related: Technology - Services - Regenerative Medicine
Is general: Yes
