Numab Therapeutics AG announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement whereby Johnson & Johnson acquires Yellow Jersey Therapeutics (YJT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Numab to be spun-off to Numab's shareholders. YJT comprises all assets relating to NM26, an investigational first-in-class bi-specific antibody for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) set to advance into Phase 2 clinical development. Under the terms of the acquisition, J&J will pay a purchase price of $1.25 billion in cash for YJT.
NM26 targets IL-4Rα (type I and type II receptors) and IL-31 to address the hallmarks of the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis. The antibody was discovered and engineered using Numab’s proprietary MATCH™ technology platform, which is designed to fuel a new wave of multi-specific antibody drug candidates.
“We are thrilled to enter into this agreement with J&J and are confident they will be able to rapidly advance the development of NM26 for patients in need of a better treatment for atopic dermatitis and other conditions,” said David Urech, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Numab. “This transaction validates the power of our discovery and engineering platform and its potential to bring multiple novel multi-specific antibodies to large, underserved patient populations. Our partnering strategy engaging biopharma partners such as Kaken, Eisai, Boehringer Ingelheim and Ono from early on, has been instrumental in realizing the value of our platform and will continue to be key to advancing our potentially transformative immunology and oncology programs.”
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