BioNTech has completed the previously announced acquisition of biotechnology company Biotheus for $800m, a move that strengthens its oncology strategy.

BNT327 combined with BioNTech’s ADCs will be assessed in additional trials. Credit: National Cancer Institute on Unsplash.
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The acquisition primarily comprises cash payments, with a smaller portion in the form of BioNTech American Depositary Shares.
In addition, there are potential performance-based payments of up to $150m, contingent on meeting certain development and regulatory milestones.
Initially announced in November last year, the deal, expands on the two companies’ existing collaboration on BNT327, an investigational bispecific antibody designed to target both programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A).
In addition to BNT327, the acquisition incorporates other bispecific antibody candidates in development.
BioNTech aims to accelerate the research, development and commercialisation of BNT327 as a platform for combo therapies, targeting a wide range of tumours.
The company now gains complete worldwide rights to the therapy along with exclusive rights to all other Biotheus’ pipeline candidates.
This also includes the bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) as well as in-house antibody generation platform.
Biotheus is also set to function as BioNTech’s indirect Chinese subsidiary, bringing with it a local research and development hub and a biologics manufacturing facility to expand the company’s global network.
Several trials are underway assessing the antibody as a single agent or in conjunction with other treatment modalities which target various oncogenic pathways in solid tumour indications.
Also, several worldwide trials are planned or underway to commence this year which include three trials with registrational potential in first-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
BNT327 combined with BioNTech’s ADCs will be assessed in additional trials.
On successful development and approval, the company aims to leverage this antibody as an immuno-oncology (IO) backbone in conjunction with other treatment modalities for a wide range of cancer indications.