The acquisition will include Aliada’s ALIA-1758, which is in development for Alzheimer’s disease. Credit: Art_Photo/Shutterstock.

AbbVie has entered a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding equity of Aliada Therapeutics in a $1.4bn cash deal.

The deal will include Aliada’s lead investigational product, ALIA-1758, which is in development for Alzheimer’s disease.

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Aliada is at the forefront of advancing therapies with a blood-brain barrier (BBB)-crossing technology that targets transferrin and CD98 receptors, which are abundant in brain endothelial cells.

This technology is integral to its Modular Delivery (MODEL) platform, engineered for precise central nervous system drug delivery.

ALIA-1758 employs the tech to transport an anti-pyroglutamate amyloid beta antibody across the BBB, aiming to degrade amyloid beta plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

The MODEL platform, originally developed by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) scientists, is designed to deliver biological cargoes to the brain.

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These include therapeutic antibodies and genetic medicines such as small interfering RNA.

The acquisition by AbbVie is expected to bolster the company’s research and development (R&D) capabilities, accelerating the development of new therapies for neurological disorders.

AbbVie R&D executive vice-president and chief scientific officer Roopal Thakkar stated: “Neuroscience is one of our key growth areas and we are committed to driving innovation in this field to address critical unmet needs for patients living with seriously debilitating neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

“This acquisition immediately positions us to advance ALIA-1758, a potentially best-in-class disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.”

ALIA-1758 is currently undergoing a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate its tolerability and safety in healthy participants.

The transaction, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, will be finalised in the fourth quarter of 2024.

AbbVie’s legal advisor for the deal was Covington & Burling, while Centerview Partners provided financial advice and Fenwick & West offered legal advisory services to Aliada.

AbbVie recently collaborated with Gedeon Richter to develop new treatments for neuropsychiatric conditions.

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