MedImmune Completes Acquisition of Amplimmune

AstraZeneca today announced that on 4 October MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, completed its acquisition of Amplimmune, a privately-held, US-based biologics company focused on developing novel therapeutics in cancer immunology.

As previously announced, the acquisition bolsters MedImmune’s oncology pipeline by obtaining multiple early-stage assets for its immune-mediated cancer therapy (IMT-C) portfolio, including AMP-514, an anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody. AMP-514 is currently in late-stage pre-clinical development with the aim of an investigational new drug (IND) filing before the end of 2013. Other Amplimmune assets include multiple preclinical molecules targeting the B7 pathways.

MedImmune, with its clinical stage programmes – tremelimumab, mOX40 mAb and MEDI-4736 (anti-PD-L1 mAb) – and a robust pre-clinical pipeline, is building one of the most comprehensive programmes in IMT-C. IMT-Cs are being designed to empower the immune system to counteract the tactics employed by cancer cells to avoid detection and attack the body.

Upon completion of the acquisition, MedImmune acquired 100 per cent of Amplimmune’s shares for an initial consideration of $225 million and deferred consideration of up to $275 million based on reaching predetermined development milestones.