GSK Completes Acquisition of Aiolos Bio

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This year continues to be big year for mergers and acquisitions in pharma.

GSK announced that it has completed its acquisition of Aiolos Bio. The move will bolster GSK’s portfolio of respiratory and inflammatory medications and treatments.¹

As part of the deal, GSK provided an upfront payment of $1 billion. On top of that, the company will also pay up to $400 million for success-based regulatory milestones, along with further potential payments to Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, due to Aiolos’ A1O-001 drug being licensed exclusively for development and commercialization outside of China by Hengrui.

A1O-001 will now become part of GSK’s portfolio. The treatment is a novel monoclonal antibody which has the potential for dosing intervals of up to six months. The treatment can be used for asthma related inflammation.

In a press release, GSK’s chief scientific officer Tony Wood said, “Given the limited treatment options for asthma patients with low T2 inflammation, we look forward to using our deep respiratory expertise to potentially offer a long-acting biologic to a broader portion of the 315 million patients living with asthma.”

GSK first announced the agreement to purchase Aiolos on January 9, 2024.² At the time, GSK said that it believed that acquiring A1O-001 would help it provide broader treatment options to 315 million patients suffering from asthma.

Aiolos Bio’s CEO Khurem Farooq said in a press release, “We believe that this transaction speaks to the high potential of our long-acting anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody, AIO-001. By uniting with GSK, a leader with decades of experience developing respiratory therapies and a shared commitment to improving patient lives, we’re confident that we can rapidly advance this therapy in the hopes of significantly reducing the treatment burden for patients.”

At the time of the original announcement, GSK’s Tony Wood said, “We have a proud heritage and deep development expertise in respiratory medicines, especially addressing diseases driven by IL-5 with high levels of eosinophils or high T2 inflammation. Adding AIO-001, a potentially best-in-class medicine targeting the TSLP pathway, could expand the reach of our current respiratory biologics portfolio, including to the 40% of severe asthma patients with low T2 inflammation where treatment options are still needed.”

References

1. GSK completes acquisition of Aiolos Bio. GSK. February 15, 2024. https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-completes-acquisition-of-aiolos-bio/
2. GSK enters agreement to acquire Aiolos Bio. Aiolos Bio. January 9, 2024. Accessed February 15, 2024. https://www.aiolosbio.com/wp-content/uploads/20240109-Aiolos-Bio-Deal-Announcement_FINAL.pdf