QDIS Blog

The mergers continue in this new year. Now Biogen Idec is acquiring Syntonix Pharmaceuticals for $40 million upfront and another $80 million based on meeting development milestones.

Biogen Idec to Acquire Syntonix: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Syntonix concentrates on discovering and developing long-acting therapeutic products to improve treatment regimens for chronic diseases. Their lead compound, FIX:Fc is a long acting factor IX used for treatment of hemophilia B. Being a long-acting product, it allows for a reduced number of injections. Syntonix is hopeful of filing an NDA for FIX:Fc this year.

One of the needs for biotech companies is to develop improved methods of delivery. Most biotech product are injectable drugs and therefore anything that can increase the lifetime of the drug will thereby reduce the number of injections the patient has to take. Being the spouse of a diabetic, I can tell you that patients look forward to technologies that either eliminate or greatly reduce the number of times each day that they must stick themselves with a needle.

You can find more information on their SynFusion technology on their site. I think this is likely a good acquisition for Biogen Idec and in light of costs of other deals, it seems reasonably priced. I am hopeful again that the incorporation of a small company into a larger one does not stifle innovation and allows the continued use of the technology for a wide range of products.

In interest of full disclosure I own a few shares of Biogen Idec.

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