Novartis AG has entered an agreement to acquire Calypso Biotech BV, a developer of Interleukin15 (IL-15) targeted therapies, for $250 million upfront upon closing and potential development milestones of up to $175 million.
 
Calypso, a spin-out from Merck, is focused on the research and development of monoclonal antibodies for an array of autoimmune indications, with an expertise in IL-15 biology. IL-15 is a broad, untapped immune axis that controls barrier function and downstream immune cascades in many chronic autoimmune diseases. 
 
Calypso’s lead product candidate, CALY-002, is a potential best-in-class therapeutic antibody that binds to and neutralizes Interleukin-15. The acquisition gives Novartis full rights to CALY-002. Novartis intends to further explore CALY-002 across a wide variety of autoimmune indications with high unmet medical need. CALY-002 is currently in a Phase 1b trial in patients with Celiac Disease and Eosinophilic Esophagitis.
 
Alain Vicari, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Calypso, commented: “We are excited for this transaction with Novartis, a company with relentless commitment to the development of innovative therapies for autoimmune conditions. As part of the Novartis portfolio, CALY-002 is in the best position to be developed effectively, so that it can promptly address unmet medical needs in multiple indications.”
 
Richard Siegel, Head of Immunology Research at Novartis, commented: “Novartis is committed to bringing innovative treatment options forward for patients living with immunological diseases. We’re thrilled to add Calypso’s potential best-in-class antibody to our Immunology pipeline and explore it in a spectrum of autoimmune indications.”