Vertex to Acquire ViaCyte for $320 Million

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company, announced on July 11, 2022 that it will acquire ViaCyte, a private cellular therapy company, for $320 million. Vertex’s acquisition of ViaCyte gives it access to complementary technologies to pursue novel stem cell-derived cell replacement therapies as a functional cure for type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Vertex is currently engaged in clinical trials for VX-880, an investigational allogeneic stem cell-derived, fully differentiated, insulin-producing islet cell therapy for T1D. According to a company press release, it has seen promising safety and efficacy results from their ongoing Phase I/II study.

Vertex’s acquisition of ViaCyte grants them complementary assets to accelerate development of VX-880. These include additional human stem cell lines, intellectual property around stem cell differentiation, and good manufacturing practice (GMP) manufacturing facilities for cell-based therapies.

“VX-880 has successfully demonstrated clinical proof of concept in T1D, and the acquisition of ViaCyte will accelerate our goal of transforming, if not curing T1D by expanding our capabilities and bringing additional tools, technologies, and assets to our current stem cell-based programs,” said Reshma Kewalramani, president and CEO, Vertex, in the press release.

“ViaCyte’s commitment to finding a functional cure for T1D is shared by Vertex, and this acquisition will allow Vertex to deploy ViaCyte’s tools, technologies, and assets toward the development of Vertex’s multiple cell replacement therapy approaches designed to reduce the burden of millions of people living with T1D worldwide,” said Michael Yang, president and CEO, ViaCyte, in the press release.

Source: Vertex