Bayer said June 3 it agreed to acquire Noria Therapeutics Inc. (Noria) and PSMA Therapeutics Inc., through which the Whippany-based company will broaden its existing oncology portfolio of targeted alpha therapies.
The deal, for which financial details were not disclosed, will see Bayer pick up exclusive rights to two investigational therapies for prostate cancer that will complement the already approved therapy Xofigo, according to a release from the company.
Targeted alpha therapies, or TATs, treat difficult tumors by delivering alpha radiation inside the body using either a bone-seeking property or through the combination of alpha radionuclides with specific molecules.
By acquiring Noria and PSMA Therapeutics, Bayer will now gain exclusive worldwide rights to technology licensed from Weill Cornell Medicine and Johns Hopkins University for a differentiated alpha radionuclide investigational compound and a small molecule directed toward prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which will add on to research already being conducted at the German pharmaceutical giant.
“This acquisition is another important milestone in enhancing Bayer’s oncology portfolio through both in-house expertise and strategic collaborations and agreements,” said Bayer’s Robert LaCaze, a member of the executive committee of the Pharmaceuticals Division and head of the Oncology Strategic Business Unit.
