GSK adds therapies for COPD, prostate cancer: Deals Report

In a week headlined by billion-dollar-plus takeouts, some biopharmas paid lower prices to obtain key programs that could augment their pipelines.

GSK plc (LSE:GSK; NYSE:GSK) made a pair of licensing deals in the respiratory and prostate cancer spaces. On Tuesday, the pharma said it would pay privately held Empirico Inc. $85 million up front for exclusive, worldwide rights to EMP-012, a siRNA therapy with an undisclosed target that is in Phase I testing to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The program is Empirico’s most advanced; it also has preclinical therapies for neurological, cardiometabolic, immunological and musculoskeletal disorders. Milestones in the deal total $660 million; Empirico is also eligible for royalties...