Global Briefs: AbbVie, GSK & Novo Nordisk
A roundup of news from AbbVie/Capstan Therapeutics, GSK/Boston Pharmaceuticals and Novo Nordisk. Highlights below.
M&A News
* AbbVie To Acquire Capstan Therapeutics for $2.1 Bn
* GSK Completes Acquisition of Liver Disease Drug from Boston Pharmaceuticals in $2-Bn Deal
General
* Novo Nordisk Investing $112 M in Testing Laboratory Expansion
M&A News
AbbVie To Acquire Capstan Therapeutics for $2.1 Bn
AbbVie has agreed to acquire Capstan Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, for $2.1 billion.
AbbVie will acquire CPTX2309, a potential in vivo tLNP anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy candidate, currently in Phase I development for the treatment of B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Additionally, AbbVie will acquire Capstan’s proprietary tLNP platform technology designed to deliver RNA payloads, such as mRNA, capable of engineering specific cell types in vivo.
Under the agreement, AbbVie will pay up to $2.1 billion in cash at closing to acquire Capstan, subject to certain customary adjustments. The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.
Source: AbbVie
GSK Completes Acquisition of Liver Disease Drug from Boston Pharmaceuticals in $2-Bn Deal
GSK has completed its acquisition of a liver-disease drug from Boston Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based bio/pharmaceutical company, in a deal worth up to $2 billion ($1.2 billion upfront and $800 million in milestone payments). The deal was announced in May 2025.
Boston Pharmaceuticals’ lead asset, efimosfermin alfa, is a Phase III-ready, investigational specialty medicine to treat and prevent progression of steatotic liver disease (SLD), a condition where excessive fat accumulates in the liver. Efimosfermin is a once-monthly fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) analog therapeutic in clinical development for treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, including cirrhosis, and future development in alcohol-related liver disease, both forms of SLD.
Under the agreement, GSK will pay $1.2 billion upfront, with potential for additional success-based milestone payments totaling $800 million.
Source: GSK
General
Novo Nordisk Investing $112 M in Testing Laboratory Expansion
Novo Nordisk has announced it will invest approximately RMB 800 million ($112 million) to expand quality testing laboratory of its production plant in Tianjin, China, and hold a project launch event.
The total construction area of the quality inspection laboratory expansion project is about 18,000 square meters. The construction content includes chemical laboratories, microbiological laboratories, and biological laboratories. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.
