The deal – further terms were not disclosed - will see Baxter buy Chatham's developmental gene therapy programs which are directed toward the development and commercialization of treatments for haemophilia.
Baxter and Chatham established a relationship in 2012 when they teamed up to evaluate a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-based gene therapy delivery technology for the development of haemophilia B therapies.
The delivery technology – known as the Biological Nano Particle (BNP) platform – was developed by Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio) according to Jade Samulski, co-Founder of Chatham and Vice President of Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, who told BioPharma-Reporter.com about the deal.
“AskBio maintains an exclusive licensing arrangement between AskBio and Chatham for the BNP technology. Through the acquisition of Chatham, Baxter gains exclusive access to the BNP technology for the field of haemophilia. AskBio maintains the BNP technology for all other fields.”
This was echoed by Ludwig Hantson, president of Baxter BioScience, who said: "Chatham's gene therapy platform technology offers the potential to redefine treatment of both haemophilia A and B."
"This technology will be highly complementary to our expanding pipeline of bleeding disorder treatments as we continue our pursuit of a bleed-free world."
Biopharma spin off
News of the deal follow less than a week after Baxter announced its intention to spin off its biopharmaceutical business.
At the time Hantson, who will become CEO of the biopharma company, said: “We will enhance our portfolio with new products, new indications and new formulations.”
He added: “We are also building our businesses to capitalise on attractive opportunities, and these include a focus on haematology [and Oncology] and biosimilars.”