Pierre Fabre Laboratories, a pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetic company, has acquired Vertical Bio AG, a developer of novel cancer therapies. The acquisition adds VERT-002 to its oncology discovery pipeline. VERT-002 is a monoclonal antibody with a novel and differentiated mechanism of action, acting as a degrader of c-MET. The target is a known disease driver in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mutations or amplification of MET. Deal terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition strengthen’s Pierre Fabre’s R&D portfolio in precision oncology with a product about to enter clinical development. The company has made oncology its top priority and dedicates 80% of its R&D spendings to this therapeutic area. In 2022, the oncology franchise achieved revenues of €467 million, up 221% compared to 2019 revenues.    

Earlier this year, a collaboration agreement was signed with Scorpion Therapeutics to co-develop and commercialize two candidates for patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Also, through its longstanding partnership with Pfizer, the company expects to harness the full potential of a promising clinical development program in NSCLC.   
 
“We are excited about the acquisition of this biotechnology company and the addition of VERT-002 to reinforce our research and development portfolio in lung cancer,” said Eric Ducournau, CEO of Pierre Fabre Laboratories. “This acquisition is another testimony of our commitment to invest in the discovery and development of innovative treatments in precision oncology.”

“We are proud of the rapid progress that Vertical Bio made in developing its lead antibody, which represents a potential new option for patients with difficult-to-treat forms of lung cancer,” said Alex Mayweg, chairman of Vertical Bio and managing director at Versant. “Pierre Fabre Laboratories are an ideal partner to take VERT-002 into the clinic and we look forward to the to the continued progress of this differentiated molecule.”