Tag Archives: life Science

Biotalys Receives Regulatory Approval by U.S. EPA for EVOCA

GIMV

U.S. Registration Marks a Significant Milestone as the First Protein-Based Biofungicide of its Kind to be Approved by the EPA.

Ghent, BELGIUM – 2 December 2025, 07:00 CET – Biotalys (Euronext: BTLS) is excited to announce it has received regulatory approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its first biofungicide, EVOCA™*. This product was developed using Biotalys’ AGROBODY™ technology platform and is the first protein-based biofungicide of its kind to be approved by the EPA.

EVOCA is a precision biocontrol solution with a new mode of action** that targets the fungal pathogens botrytis (grey mold) and powdery mildew in high-value fruits and vegetables while minimising the risk to beneficial organisms or the environment.

With this approval in hand, Biotalys can proceed with the dossiers for state registrations in California and Florida, two of the most important growing regions for fruit and vegetables in the United States***. In Europe, EVOCA has entered the peer review phase, and the Netherlands – as the rapporteur member state – has proposed approval in Europe, subject to the provision for certain additional data as requested during the peer review phase.

Additionally, the company can move forward with building up the U.S. regulatory submission for EVOCA NG – its next-generation product – currently in the final phases of development. The regulatory review process for EVOCA NG is expected to be significantly shorter, as the product contains the same active ingredient as EVOCA and features enhanced formulation and production methods. Biotalys envisages obtaining registration of EVOCA NG in the U.S. in 2028-29 and in the EU and Brazil in 2029-30, and subsequently launching it commercially in these markets worth around USD 1.2 billion combined1.

“This approval marks a major regulatory milestone for EVOCA and moves us closer to delivering a new, sustainable tool for farmers to protect their crops,” said Kevin Helash, CEO of Biotalys. “The product has an entirely new mode of action to target fungal diseases, highlighting the uniqueness of Biotalys’ technology platform as a pathway to discovering many new modes of action in the coming years. The EPA’s decision reinforces the potential of our technology to help shape the future of agriculture and is a testament to the dedication of our entire team.”

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Royalty Pharma Acquires Royalty Interest in Alnylam’s AMVUTTRA for $310 Million from Blackstone Life Sciences

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Blackstone

New York, NY and Cambridge, MA – Royalty Pharma plc (Nasdaq: RPRX) today announced that it has acquired a royalty interest in Alnylam’s AMVUTTRA from funds managed by Blackstone Life Sciences (“Blackstone”) for $310 million. The royalty interest being sold stems from Blackstone’s 2020 financing collaboration with Alnylam, in which Blackstone invested to support AMVUTTRA’s pivotal Phase 3 HELIOS-B trial.

AMVUTTRA is an FDA-approved RNAi therapeutic for the treatment of ATTR amyloidosis, a progressive, degenerative and fatal disease caused by misfolded proteins that accumulate in the nerves, heart and GI tract.

“We are delighted to acquire a royalty interest in AMVUTTRA,” said Pablo Legorreta, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Royalty Pharma. “AMVUTTRA is a breakthrough RNAi therapeutic that delivers compelling benefits to patients, including a meaningful reduction in all-cause mortality for ATTR cardiomyopathy patients. Its impressive commercial trajectory underscores the significant market opportunity for the product and positions it as a highly attractive contributor to Royalty Pharma’s portfolio.”

AMVUTTRA received FDA approval for the treatment of TTR amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) in 2025 and for hereditary TTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (hATTR-PN) in 2022. ATTR-CM represents a fast-growing category driven by new therapeutic options and improving diagnosis rates. There are approximately 30,000 hATTR-PN patients globally and more than 300,000 ATTR-CM patients globally, of which just 20% are currently diagnosed. AMVUTTRA sales reached approximately $1 billion in 2024, which represented 74% year-over-year growth, and are projected to exceed $6 billion by 2028 based on analyst consensus.

Transaction Terms
Royalty Pharma has acquired Blackstone’s 1% royalty on worldwide net sales of AMVUTTRA in exchange for an upfront payment of $310 million. The royalty duration for AMVUTTRA will extend through March 2035. The transaction is expected to deliver returns consistent with Royalty Pharma’s stated targets for approved products under a range of scenarios that factor in significant potential competition from Alnylam’s follow-on product, nucresiran. The transaction with Royalty Pharma is for AMVUTTRA sales beginning on October 1, 2025 and excludes the fixed payments paid to Blackstone as part of the original transaction in which Blackstone invested $70 million.

Advisors
Gibson Dunn, Dechert and Maiwald acted as legal advisors to Royalty Pharma. Ropes & Gray and TD Securities acted as advisors to Blackstone.

About Royalty Pharma
Founded in 1996, Royalty Pharma is the largest buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a leading funder of innovation across the biopharmaceutical industry, collaborating with innovators from academic institutions, research hospitals and non-profits through small and mid-cap biotechnology companies to leading global pharmaceutical companies. Royalty Pharma has assembled a portfolio of royalties which entitles it to payments based directly on the top-line sales of many of the industry’s leading therapies. Royalty Pharma funds innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry both directly and indirectly – directly when it partners with companies to co-fund late-stage clinical trials and new product launches in exchange for future royalties, and indirectly when it acquires existing royalties from the original innovators. Royalty Pharma’s current portfolio includes royalties on more than 35 commercial products, including Vertex’s Trikafta, GSK’s Trelegy, Roche’s Evrysdi, Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya, Biogen’s Tysabri and Spinraza, Servier’s Voranigo, AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson’s Imbruvica, Astellas and Pfizer’s Xtandi, Pfizer’s Nurtec ODT, and Gilead’s Trodelvy, and 17 development-stage product candidates.

About Blackstone Life Sciences
Blackstone Life Sciences (BXLS) is an industry-leading private investment platform with capabilities to invest across the life cycle of companies and products within the key life science sectors. By combining scale investments and hands-on operational leadership, BXLS helps bring to market promising new medicines and medical technologies that improve patients’ lives and currently has $12 billion in assets under management.

Royalty Pharma Forward-Looking Statements
The information set forth herein does not purport to be complete or to contain all of the information you may desire. Statements contained herein are made as of the date of this document unless stated otherwise, and neither the delivery of this document at any time, nor any sale of securities, shall under any circumstances create an implication that the information contained herein is correct as of any time after such date or that information will be updated or revised to reflect information that subsequently becomes available or changes occurring after the date hereof. This document contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that express the company’s opinions, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or projections regarding future events or future results, in contrast with statements that reflect historical facts. Examples include discussion of Royalty Pharma’s strategies, financing plans, growth opportunities, market growth, and plans for capital deployment. In some cases, you can identify such forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “target,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “goal,” “predicts,” “project,” “potential” or “continue,” the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to the company. However, these forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of Royalty Pharma’s performance, and you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to many risks, uncertainties and other variable circumstances, and other factors. Such risks and uncertainties may cause the statements to be inaccurate and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Many of these risks are outside of Royalty Pharma’s control and could cause its actual results to differ materially from those it thought would occur. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date hereof. Royalty Pharma does not undertake, and specifically declines, any obligation to update any such statements or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any such statements to reflect future events or developments, except as required by law. For further information, please reference Royalty Pharma’s reports and documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Royalty Pharma Investor Relations and Communications
+1 (212) 883-6637
ir@royaltypharma.com

Blackstone
David Vitek
(212) 583-5291
David.Vitek@blackstone.com

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The Era of Generative Genomics with Synthesize Bio

Madrona

We’re entering a new era of life sciences, one marked by unprecedented speed of innovation and, paradoxically, slowing scientific progress. Drug discovery is becoming harder and more costly, not easier. Despite incredible technological advances, it now takes more time and more money to develop life-saving medicines than ever before.

This phenomenon has been wryly dubbed Eroom’s Law (Moore’s Law backwards). A nod to the fact that drug R&D productivity is moving in the opposite direction of the exponential advances we’ve seen in semiconductors and software. At Madrona, we believe this slowdown is unacceptable and not inevitable.
That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our investment in Synthesize Bio, founded by Rob Bradley, McIlwain Family Endowed Chair and Director of the Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center and Jeff Leek, J Orin Edson Foundation Endowed Chair and Chief Data Officer at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

Rob and Jeff are world-leading researchers who have built their careers understanding biology from massive RNA datasets. They founded Synthesize Bio to build foundation models to solve the problems they face in their own research – understanding complex biology to deliver new insights that enable novel medicines in a highly competitive and resource-constrained environment.

Generative Genomics – A Foundation for the Future of Science

While biology hasn’t had its “ChatGPT moment” yet, we’re getting close. Rob and Jeff saw the massive potential while hacking diffusion models on their nights and weekends, inspiring them to found Synthesize Bio.

They came to us with the idea that in the future, most genomic data would be generated by models instead of in a lab. They called this idea “generative genomics” and showed us the first prototype of their idea. Over the past year, they have been quietly building, training a generative genomics foundation model (GEM-1) on the largest, most deeply curated RNA-seq dataset ever assembled. Their recent preprint demonstrates best-in-class performance: generating in silico data that matches wet-lab experiments – simply from experimental designs.

RNA-seq is the gold standard for linking genotype to phenotype at scale, capturing the transcriptional dynamics that translate static DNA into the active processes driving health and disease. RNA provides a uniquely rich substrate for generative modeling, leveraging high-throughput sequencing and massive datasets. For the first time, we’re starting to see scaling laws emerge in biology and with them, the possibility of generative tools becoming foundational infrastructure for scientific research.

While this is just the first release of the GEM models from Synthesize, they are already seeing super-experimental (analogous to super-human) performance – AI models that outperform novel lab experiments at reproducing biological signals.

It’s time to revisit the old adage, “An hour in the library can save a month in the lab.” Synthesize Bio reinvents that hour in the library; no longer are scientists limited to what others have published. Generative genomics moves reasoning agents from just searching published literature to enabling dynamic AI experiments that accelerate research by years, not months.

From Bottlenecks to Breakthroughs: Scientists Need to Do More with Less

Biology is hard. Scientists spend years and pharmaceutical companies spend millions narrowing down hypotheses, only to find themselves limited by what can be physically tested in patients or animals or what can be gleaned from early efficacy signals in Phase I clinical trial data. Can you get the patient samples needed? Do you have the statistical power to predict which patients are likely to respond to treatment? These constraints no longer need to define the limits of discovery or drug development.

Synthesize Bio is building a future where early-stage clinical data can be augmented with AI-generated datasets, providing better predictive power to de-risk costly trials and bring needed medicines to patients sooner. On top of the generative genomics foundation model, scientists can build applications solving the critical research challenges limiting scientific progress.

  • Hypotheses that were once infeasible due to cost or time can now be evaluated in silico
  • Human-relevant models bridge the gap between cells in a dish and real biology in people
  • Clinical study designs can be modeled computationally offering a preview of outcomes before the first patient is even enrolled
  • Generating biomarker data creates insight from impossible to collect biopsies
  • Biomarker hypotheses can be tested with robust statistical power before Phase III trials

This is the power of generative genomics: unlocking scale, speed, and scope that wet lab experiments or early clinical trial data alone simply can’t match.

The Scientist of the Future Will Spend 90% of Their Time at the Keyboard

The tech shift in biology is already underway. The success of generative protein design, AI-driven structure prediction, and automated screening tools is showing what’s possible. These tools, while powerful, all act on known biology and targets. To drive the future of life sciences, we need to discover new biology faster and more efficiently. We need tools to better de-risk clinical development before years are wasted on the wrong assets. Into this need steps Synthesize Bio and generative genomics.

The next generation of biotech breakthroughs will be built by scientists and drug development companies who are fully tech enabled, running experiments in code, iterating rapidly, and validating only the best ideas in the lab. But this future requires infrastructure. Unlike large language foundation models, life science research demands deep domain expertise, vertical-specific and highly curated training data, and integration with life science workflows. This isn’t a space for one-size-fits-all solutions. Synthesize Bio has built the foundation to drive the future of in silico-first, life science research.

Democratizing Discovery: From Insights to Impact

While no model will ever perfectly recapitulate all of biology, Synthesize’s represents a profound shift, empowering scientists to do more, faster, with greater confidence. And this is beyond just efficiency, it’s about enabling new and better science.

The Synthesize Bio team is developing partnerships with biopharma teams to accelerate drug development using their foundation models. Access to the GEM-1 foundation models is now available at Synthesize.bio and through R and Python API clients.

We are proud to back Rob, Jeff, and the Synthesize Bio team as they build this foundational layer for modern biotech. At Madrona, we’re investing from day one in the companies creating the future of life science R&D where scaling laws apply to biology, discovery accelerates, and new medicines reach patients faster.

If you’re building at this intersection—or want to—let’s talk.

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EQT Life Sciences leads USD 56 million Series D financing in Neuros Medical to commercialize FDA-approved treatment for post-amputation pain

EQT Life Science
  • Proceeds will be used to support U.S. commercialization of Altius®, a direct electrical nerve stimulation system designed to treat chronic, intractable post-amputation pain in adult amputees
  • Post-amputation pain is a severely underserved indication, affecting up to 80% of amputees in the U.S., with few effective non-opioid treatment options

EQT Life Sciences (“EQT”)  is pleased to announce that the LSP 7 fund and the EQT Health Economics strategy have co-led the USD 56 million Series D financing round of Neuros Medical, Inc., a U.S.-based medical device company developing breakthrough treatments for chronic post-amputation pain. The oversubscribed round marks a significant milestone in supporting the company’s mission to address a critical unmet need.

Proceeds from the financing will be used to support U.S. commercialization of Altius®, a FDA-approved direct electrical nerve stimulation system designed to treat chronic, intractable post-amputation pain in adult amputees.

Post-amputation pain is a severely underserved indication, affecting up to 80 percent of amputees in the U.S., with few effective non-opioid treatment options. The Altius® system delivers targeted nerve stimulation through a patient-controlled, on-demand therapy, and is currently the only FDA-approved solution for post-amputation pain.

David Veino, President and CEO of Neuros Medical, commented: “This funding enables us to scale our commercial operations and expand access to a breakthrough non-opioid treatment for a highly underserved patient population. We are grateful for the support from EQT and our syndicate partners as we continue our mission to relieve pain and restore life for amputees.”

Fouad Azzam, Ph.D., Partner in the EQT Life Sciences advisory team, commented: “Neuros Medical is addressing one of the most urgent and overlooked challenges in chronic pain management. EQT believes Altius has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for amputees, and we are proud to partner with this team to bring the therapy to market.”

Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

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About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with EUR 273 billion in total assets under management (EUR 142 billion in fee-generating assets under management) as of 31 March 2025, within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram

About Neuros Medical
Founded to address the critical unmet need in chronic post-amputation pain, Neuros Medical is a privately held medical device company headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California. Its flagship product, the Altius® Direct Electrical Nerve Stimulation System, is a non-opioid, FDA-approved device that provides on-demand, patient-controlled pain relief by targeting peripheral nerves near the amputation site.

The system comprises a nerve cuff electrode and an implantable pulse generator, delivering 30-minute stimulation sessions as needed by the patient. With nearly 2 million amputees in the U.S. and 300,000 new amputations annually, the Altius® System offers a differentiated, scalable solution in a large and growing market.

For more information: www.neurosmedical.com

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EQT to acquire Europa Biosite, a distributor of life science products

eqt

Europa Biosite

  • EQT Healthcare Growth to acquire Europa Biosite, a distributor of over ten million high-quality life science reagents to academic and biopharma researchers across Europe and North America, from Adelis Equity
  • EQT will support Europa Biosite’s next phase of growth through commercial excellence initiatives, digital upgrades, expanded product access, and continued M&A, with the company set to benefit from continued demand for advanced research tools
  • The investment builds on EQT’s track record in specialised distribution, including Azelis, Beijer Ref, and OEM International

EQT Healthcare Growth (“EQT”) has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Europa Biosite (or “the Company”) – a distributor of high-quality research-use-only (RUO) life science reagents, chemicals, and biological substances used in healthcare R&D – from Adelis Equity. Headquartered in Stockholm, the Company operates in 17 countries across Europe and North America and supports more than 60,000 researchers in academia and biopharma.

Europa Biosite offers access to over ten million individual scientific products essential to life sciences research, such as antibodies, biochemicals, diagnostic kits, and ethically sourced biospecimens, from a wide range of science-led suppliers. It has grown to become a partner for both suppliers and scientists, building on its highly localized footprint and strong technical sales capabilities. The Company serves a fragmented and fast-moving industry, which is expected to benefit from stable research funding.

EQT Healthcare Growth seeks to scale healthcare companies by building commercial muscle and expanding reach, building on EQT’s three-decade track record in the healthcare sector. Europa Biosite will draw on this experience to expand its own-brand offering in biospecimens, continue its acquisition strategy to strengthen local market presence and expand to new geographies, and invest in new digital infrastructure. The Company is also set to benefit from EQT’s track record in specialized distribution, including Azelis, Beijer Ref, and OEM International, as well as EQT’s industrial advisor network, with senior EQT advisor Kate Swann set to lead Europa Biosite’s Board.

Rikke Kjær Nielsen, Partner in the EQT Healthcare Growth advisory team, commented: ”Europa Biosite supports European scientific research by connecting thousands of labs with the reagents they need to advance discovery. With our support, the company will be set up to scale its business through investments into digital tools, strengthening of its supplier network, and acceleration of its M&A platform. We are proud to support a company that enables critical research and look forward to partnering with Europa Biosite’s management team on the next leg of their journey.”

“We’re excited to partner with EQT for the next phase of growth. With growing demand for reagents and more scientists relying on these critical products, this is a pivotal moment for the business. EQT’s expertise in scaling distributors will help us reach new customers, offer even better service, and bring exciting new products to market,” said Sune Schmølker, CEO of Europa Biosite.

Kate Swann, Senior Industrial Advisor to EQT, commented: “I am excited to be taking on the role of Chairperson of Europa Biosite and to continue the partnership with EQT. The life sciences sector is vital and fast-moving, and Europa Biosite has a compelling opportunity to grow and contribute to its development. Building on my experience as Chairperson of Beijer Ref, another Swedish specialised distribution business, I look forward to supporting the company’s scaling journey.”

Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

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About EQT
EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with EUR 273 billion in total assets under management (EUR 142 billion in fee-generating assets under management) as of 31 March 2025, within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram

About Europa Biosite
Europa Biosite is a specialist distributor of research reagents, carrying a portfolio of over 10 million SKUs to support thousands of researchers across Europe and North America in reaching their research objectives. The company has 180 employees covering 17 countries; the majority of these are scientifically trained and therefore able to provide expert technical support to customers. Over the past 7 years, the company has completed 7 acquisitions, strengthening its commercial footprint and adding innovative products to the portfolio.

More info: www.europabiosite.com

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Zydus enters exclusive negotiations with PAI Partners and other shareholders to acquire a majority stake in Amplitude Surgical

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PAI Partners

Completion of the transaction to be followed by mandatory simplified tender offer

  • Zydus has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire a controlling shareholding in Amplitude Surgical, France, at a price of €6.25 per Amplitude Surgical share.
  • Purchase consideration amounts to €256.8mn for 85.6% of the outstanding shares and voting rights of Amplitude Surgical 1.
  • Subject to closing of the controlling block acquisition, Zydus would file a mandatory simplified cash tender offer for all the remaining shares in Amplitude Surgical, at the same purchase price of €6.25 per Amplitude Surgical share. If the conditions are met at the end of the tender offer, Zydus intends to proceed with a compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares from the minority shareholders (squeeze-out) and to delist the Company.

Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India), Valence (France), March 11, 2025

Zydus Lifesciences Limited 2 (“Zydus”), a global innovation-driven lifesciences company has entered into exclusive negotiations to purchase 3 from PAI Partners and Amplitude Surgical’s management, as well as two minority shareholders 3, 85.6% of the share capital of Amplitude Surgical (ISIN: FR0012789667, Ticker: AMPLI, PEA-PME eligible) (“Amplitude Surgical” or the “Company”), at a price of €6.25 per Amplitude Surgical share (the “Block Acquisition”). The acquisition price represents a 80.6% premium over the last closing price as on 10/03/2025 and premia of 88.2% and 92.2% over the 3-month and 6-month volume-weighted average price of Amplitude Surgical respectively.

Amplitude Surgical is a European MedTech leader in high-quality, lower-limb orthopaedic technologies. The Company provides numerous value-added innovations to best meet the needs of patients, surgeons and healthcare facilities. This includes the design and development of knee and hip prostheses, which are implanted in place of damaged or worn-out joints. Supported by PAI Partners, through its Mid-Market Fund, Amplitude Surgical has experienced significant growth over the last four years, driven by new product development, international growth, investments in manufacturing capabilities and R&D. In fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, Amplitude Surgical generated sales of €106.0mn and EBITDA of €27.1mn on a consolidated basis under IFRS. For the 6 months ended December 31, 2024, Amplitude Surgical’s consolidated sales amounted to €51.5mn (a growth of 5% Y-o-Y at current exchange rates) with an EBITDA margin of approximately 25.4% (unaudited figures).

Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Zydus Lifesciences Limited, said: “Our legacy in science, health and innovation has enabled a deep understanding of patient journey and their care pathways. We believe this was a natural extension in the field of medical technology. Our commitment to quality excellence, continuous investments in R&D and expertise in manufacturing will guide our foray into highly specialised MedTech products, adding a new dimension to our operations. In Amplitude Surgical, we see several medium-term and long-term growth opportunities with respect to portfolio, capabilities, manufacturing and geographies.”

Medical Technology includes medical devices and related scientific infrastructure that directly contribute to the development of these products and solutions. The medical device market alone is estimated at over half a trillion dollars globally. This market is broadly divided into segments such as implants, equipment, consumables and in-vitro diagnostics. The Government of India (GoI) has recognised the medical device sector as a sunrise sector with strong growth potential.

Zydus MedTech is focusing on high quality products and solutions for patients with cutting-edge research and innovation around design and engineering. The focus will also be on state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities that will enable high quality solutions supported by a specialist team. The business currently markets interventional cardiology products.

Olivier Jallabert, CEO and Founder, Amplitude Surgical, said: “The Amplitude Surgical team and I are delighted to join Zydus. This acquisition by a worldwide healthcare leader is a testament to the successful development of the Company over the last 25+ years, originally as a national orthopedics challenger and today as a European leader. I would like to thank PAI Partners for their trust and continuous support in our growth journey. We have demonstrated our resilience in periods of uncertainty while driving the transformation of the Company, developing our commercial, industrial, and technological capabilities.”

Stefano Drago, a Founding Partner of PAI Mid-Market Fund, PAI Partners, said: “We are delighted to have supported Amplitude Surgical’s transformation into a European leader in lower-limb orthopaedics, with a particular focus on innovation. Over the last four years, the Company has reinforced its market position, delivered a strong financial performance based on continuous product development, successfully disposed of a non-core business and streamlined operational processes while developing a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in France and an innovative surgical robot. Thank you to Olivier Jallabert and his fantastic team for their partnership.”

Important transaction terms

The transaction which remains subject to entering into definitive agreements for the Block Acquisition, will be submitted to Amplitude Surgical employee representative bodies. It will also be subject to customary conditions precedent, including the transaction being authorized by the French Minister of Economy as part of the control of foreign investments in France, the completion of the re-investment by Olivier Jallabert of a portion of his proceeds into the Amplitude group, as well as the absence of qualified material adverse events.

The Board of Directors of Amplitude Surgical has favourably welcomed Zydus’s proposal and has set up an ad hoc committee made up of 3 members, two of which are independent directors, and appointed Finexsi as the independent expert for the Board of Directors of Amplitude Surgical pursuant to the provisions of Article 261-1 I (including 2° and 4°) of the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (“AMF”) General Regulation.

On March 11, 2025, Amplitude Surgical and Zydus entered into a tender offer agreement under which Zydus undertook to file the tender offer (subject to completion of the Block Acquisition), and Amplitude Surgical undertook to cooperate with Zydus in this respect.

It is expected that the Block Acquisition would be completed and the Offer would be filed with the AMF after the regulatory approvals are obtained by June 2025. The opening of the subsequent tender offer will then remain subject to the AMF’s clearance decision.

Olivier Jallabert, Founder and CEO of the Company, would remain involved in Amplitude Surgical moving forward.

The trading of the stock will resume at the opening of the market on March 12, 2025.

_____________
1 Based on a total number of shares and theoretical voting rights of 48,020,841 as of 10/03/2025</font size>
2 Through its subsidiaries/affiliates</font size>
3 Directly and indirectly through the acquisition of holding companies Auroralux, Ampliman 1, and Ampliman 2</font size>

Advisors

BNP Paribas is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier is acting as legal advisor to Zydus.

Rothschild and Cie is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Willkie Farr & Gallagher is acting as legal advisor to PAI Partners.

Finexsi has been appointed independent expert by the Board of Directors of Amplitude Surgical.

Contact Information

Zydus Lifesciences Limited

Sujatha Rajesh
Media Relations
sujatha.rajesh@zyduslife.com
+91-9974051180

Arvind Bothra
Investors
arvind.bothra@zyduslife.com
+91-7045656895

Brunswick
Media Relations
zydus@brunswickgroup.com
Hugues Boëton +33 6 79 99 27 15
Christophe Menger +33 7 52 63 00 89
Flora Marinho +33 6 07 46 34 35

Amplitude Surgical

Amplitude Surgical
Chief Financial Officer
Dimitri Borchtch
finances@amplitude-surgical.com
+33 4 75 41 87 41

NewCap
Investor Relations
Thomas Grojean
amplitude@newcap.eu
+33 1 44 71 94 94

NewCap
Media Relations
Nicolas Merigeau
amplitude@newcap.eu
+33 1 44 71 94 98

PAI Partners

Dania Saidam
dania.saidam@paipartners.com
+44 20 7297 4678

About Zydus Lifesciences

Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. with an overarching purpose of empowering people with freedom to live healthier and more fulfilled lives, is an innovative, global lifesciences company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of healthcare therapies. The group employs over 27,000 people worldwide, including 1,400 scientists engaged in R&D, and is driven by its mission to unlock new possibilities in lifesciences through quality healthcare solutions that impact lives. The group aspires to transform lives through path-breaking discoveries. For more details visit www.zyduslife.com

About Amplitude Surgical

Founded in 1997 in Valence, France, Amplitude Surgical is a leading French player in the global market for surgical technologies for lower limb orthopaedics. Amplitude Surgical develops and markets high-end products for orthopaedic surgery, covering the main pathologies affecting the hip and knee. Working in close collaboration with surgeons, Amplitude Surgical develops numerous high value-added innovations to best meet the needs of patients, surgeons and care facilities. A leading player in France, Amplitude Surgical is expanding internationally through its subsidiaries and a network of agents and exclusive distributors in over 30 countries. As of June 30, 2024, Amplitude Surgical employed 428 people and generated sales of nearly €106.0 million.

About PAI Partners

PAI Partners is a pre-eminent private equity firm investing in market-leading companies across the globe. The firm has more than €27 billion of assets under management and, since 1994, has completed over 100 investments in 12 countries and realised more than €26 billion in proceeds from over 60 exits. PAI Partners has built an outstanding track record through partnering with ambitious management teams where its unique perspective, unrivalled sector experience, and long-term vision enable companies to pursue their full potential – and push beyond. Learn more about the PAI Partners story, the team and their approach at: www.paipartners.com

_____________
This press release must not be published, broadcast or distributed, directly or indirectly, in any countries in which the distribution of this information is subject to legal restrictions. Therefore, persons in countries where this press release is disseminated, published or distributed should inform themselves about and comply with any such restrictions.

This release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assessments or assumptions that were reasonable at the date of the release, and which may change or be altered due, in particular, to random events or uncertainties and risks relating to the economic, financial , regulatory and competitive environment, the risks set out in the 2023/2024 Universal Registration Document, and any risks that are unknown or non-material to date that may subsequently occur. The Company undertakes to publish or disclose any adjustments or updates to this information as part of the periodic and permanent information obligation to which all listed companies are subject. This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Regulation No. 596/2014 of 16 April 2014 on market abuse.

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Blackstone Life Sciences and Anthos Therapeutics Announce Agreement for Anthos to be Acquired by Novartis for up to $3.1 Billion

Blackstone

Reflects the promise of the novel Factor XI inhibitor class of medicines to help prevent strokes and other conditions as well as Abelacimab’s potential to provide superior safety
 
Culminates growth journey as part of Blackstone Life Sciences

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., February 11, 2025 – Blackstone Life Sciences and Anthos Therapeutics, Inc. (“Anthos” or the “company”), a transformative, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases, announced today that the company has entered into an agreement with Novartis to acquire Anthos for up to $3.1 billion. Anthos was founded by Blackstone Life Sciences and Novartis in 2019 with the exclusive global rights from Novartis to develop, manufacture, and commercialize abelacimab, a novel factor XI inhibitor that originated at Novartis, being developed to prevent stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation as well as to prevent the recurrence of blood clots in patients with cancer.

“Abelacimab has the potential to be an important treatment option for the millions of patients globally with atrial fibrillation at high risk of stroke, and we could not have more conviction in the potential of this asset,” said Bill Meury, Chief Executive Officer at Anthos. “With its deep roots in the cardiovascular space, Novartis is especially well positioned to advance abelacimab’s clinical development and bring this innovative product to healthcare providers and patients. I am deeply grateful to the Anthos and Blackstone Life Sciences teams, the clinical investigators, the patients in our studies, the advocacy community, and many others who have played a role in Anthos’ success over the past six years.”

“We are proud to have launched and helped grow Anthos by acquiring the rights to abelacimab, assembling a world class team, designing the clinical plan and financing its development,” said Dr. Nicholas Galakatos, Chairman of Anthos’ Board of Directors and Global Head of Blackstone Life Sciences. “We believe abelacimab has the potential to be a leader in the new class of Factor XI anticoagulants and are pleased to have Novartis as a committed partner to advance the development and commercialization of abelacimab as a potential treatment option for the millions of patients at risk of strokes. This transaction is an affirmation of Blackstone Life Sciences’ ownership investment strategy, where we seek to find innovative products and build companies around them to meet unmet patient needs.”

In AZALEA-TIMI 71, abelacimab compared with rivaroxaban (Xarelto) demonstrated a 62% reduction in major bleeding or clinically relevant non-major bleeding, a 67% reduction in major bleeding, and an 89% reduction in gastrointestinal bleeding. The overall clinical benefit of abelacimab prompted the Independent Data Monitoring Committee to discontinue the study early. Results from AZALEA-TIMI 71 were recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine on January 23, 2025.

Anthos is currently conducting a phase 3 clinical study in patients with atrial fibrillation with high risk for stroke or systemic embolism (LILAC-TIMI 76) as well as two phase 3 studies in patients with cancer-associated thrombosis (ASTER and MAGNOLIA). Data from these trials are expected in the second half of 2026.

Blackstone Life Sciences’ investment in and commitment to Anthos demonstrate the power of combining its scale and deep operating expertise to build businesses that can help bring innovative products to market and substantially improve patient outcomes.

Transaction Details
Anthos shareholders will receive an upfront payment of $925 million upon closing of the transaction. In addition, Anthos shareholders are entitled to receive payments in the event certain regulatory and commercial milestones are achieved. Completion of the transaction is expected in the first half of 2025, pending the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.
 
Advisors
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as the lead financial advisor to Anthos. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC is also serving as a financial advisor, and Goodwin Procter LLP is serving as legal advisor to Anthos.
 
About Anthos Therapeutics
Founded by Blackstone Life Sciences (BXLS) in 2019, Anthos Therapeutics is a transformative, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with the exclusive global rights from Novartis Pharma AG to develop, manufacture and commercialize abelacimab. BXLS is the majority investor in the company and is joined by other partners including Novo Holdings. For more information about Anthos, visit the Company’s website or follow us on X and LinkedIn.

About Blackstone Life Sciences
Blackstone Life Sciences is an industry-leading private investment platform with capabilities to invest across the life cycle of companies and products within the key life science sectors. By combining scale investments and hands-on operational leadership, Blackstone Life Sciences helps bring to market promising new medicines and medical technologies that improve patients’ lives and currently has $12 billion in assets under management.
 
About Abelacimab
Abelacimab is a novel, investigational, highly selective, fully human monoclonal antibody that binds tightly to Factor XI to block its activation and prevent the generation of the activated form (Factor XIa). This mimics natural Factor XI deficiency, which is associated with protection from thromboembolic disease.

Abelacimab received a Fast Track Designation from the FDA in July 2022 for the treatment of thrombosis associated with cancer. In September 2022, abelacimab was also granted a Fast Track Designation for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation.


 
CONTACTS

Blackstone
Paula Chirhart: Paula.Chirhart@blackstone.com

Anthos
Media contact: media@anthostherapeutics.com
 
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the proposed acquisition of Anthos by Novartis, the expected timetable for completing the transaction, future opportunities for the combined businesses, the expected benefits of Novartis’ acquisition of Anthos, the development and commercialization of Anthos Therapeutics’ product candidates and the potential benefits of abelacimab. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this press release, including statements regarding the company’s strategy, future operations, future financial position, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “become,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially because of numerous risks and uncertainties including with respect to (i) the possibility that various conditions to the consummation of the acquisition may not be satisfied or waived, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the acquisition, (ii) the risk that the expected benefits or synergies of the acquisition will not be realized, (iii) the risk that the milestones may not be achieved and resulting payments may not be realized,  and (iv) unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the proposed acquisition, including the response of business partners and competitors to the announcement of the proposed acquisition or difficulties in employee retention as a result of the announcement and pendency of the proposed acquisition. The actual financial impact of this transaction may differ from the expected financial impact described in this press release. In addition, the compounds described in this press release are subject to all the risks inherent in the drug development process, and there can be no assurance that the development of these compounds will be commercially successful. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the company’s views as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. The company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the company’s views to change. However, while the company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.

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Biosynth Names Matt Gunnison as CEO, Kieran Murphy Appointed as Chairman

Ampersand

Biosynth Names Matt Gunnison as CEO, Kieran Murphy Appointed as Chairman

Staad, Switzerland, November 6th 2024 – Biosynth, a global supplier of critical raw materials and services to the life sciences industry, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Matt Gunnison as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. The Board has also appointed Kieran Murphy as Chairman, effective as of the same date.

Matt Gunnison will succeed Urs Spitz, under whose guidance Biosynth has achieved remarkable growth and strengthened its position in the life sciences sector. Urs Spitz will remain a member of the Board of Directors.

“We are grateful to Urs for his significant contributions in shaping Biosynth into the innovative and thriving company it is today. We are now excited to welcome Matt as CEO, whose vision and extensive experience will be pivotal in leading the company through its next chapter.” said Kugan Sathiyanandarajah, Partner at KKR and Head of Europe for KKR’s Health Care Strategic Growth strategy.

“I am thrilled to join Biosynth at such an exciting time in its journey. The company has built a strong foundation under Urs’s leadership, and I look forward to working with the talented team to further accelerate our growth and innovation. Together, we will continue to deliver critical raw materials and services that drive advancements in the life sciences and make a real impact on global health outcomes.” said Matt Gunnison.

“It’s a privilege to be appointed Chairman of Biosynth. I am excited to work alongside Matt and the entire team as we chart the course for the company’s continued growth. Biosynth is at the forefront of innovation in the life sciences industry, and I am confident we have the right leadership and vision to drive our success forward.” said Kieran Murphy.

“I’m immensely proud of what Biosynth has accomplished. I would like to congratulate Matt and Kieren on their new roles and wish them, along the whole Biosynth team, great success in the years ahead. I look forward to continuing to support them in my role on the Board as they lead Biosynth into this new chapter,” said Urs Spitz.

Matt currently serves as CEO of Gamma Biosciences, a life sciences investment platform that he co-founded with leading global investment firm KKR. He brings nearly two decades of experience in the healthcare and life sciences industries. At Gamma, Matt oversaw the acquisition and management of a portfolio of growth stage businesses serving the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry. Prior to Gamma, he served in various positions at GE Healthcare, most recently as head of corporate development for the $19B division of General Electric Co. Matt holds a B.A. in Economics from Georgetown University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan.

Kieran currently serves as a senior advisor to KKR and will transition to Biosynth from Gamma Biosciences, where he has served as Chairman since 2022. He brings decades of corporate leadership and board experience in healthcare and life sciences, including as former President and CEO of GE Healthcare and Whatman plc.

Joining Matt and Kieran as Head of Corporate Development for Biosynth is Eric Simpson, previously Vice President at Gamma Biosciences.

About Biosynth

Biosynth is a supplier of critical materials, securing life science supply chains with global research, manufacturing, and distribution facilities. Supplying the pharmaceutical and diagnostic sectors; where Chemistry meets Biology, Products meet Services and Innovation meets Quality, Biosynth is at the Edge of Innovation. With an unrivaled research product portfolio of over a million products and end-to-end manufacturing services, Biosynth’s expertise and capability runs across Complex Chemicals, Peptides, and Key Biologics, all from one trusted partner. Headquartered in Staad, Switzerland, Biosynth is owned amongst others by KKR, Ampersand Capital Partners and management. Find out more about Biosynth at Biosynth.com.

About KRR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR’s website at www.kkr.com. For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit Global Atlantic Financial Group’s website at Globalatlantic.com.

About Ampersand

Ampersand Capital Partners, founded in 1988, is a middle-market private equity firm with $3 billion of assets under management, dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston, MA, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ampersand leverages a unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm’s core healthcare sectors. For additional information, visit Ampersandcapital.com or follow Ampersand on LinkedIn.

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Actylis Announces Appointment of Scott Thomson as Chief Executive Officer

New Mountain Capital

Company Continues Expansion of Integrated Global Specialty Ingredients Manufacturing and Sourcing Strategy

PORT WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, NY [BUSINESS WIRE] – Actylis, a leading global manufacturer and sourcing expert of critical materials and performance ingredients for the life sciences and specialty chemicals markets, today announced the appointment of Scott Thomson as Chief Executive Officer. Scott has a three-decade track record in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, most recently as CEO of SPI Pharma, a leading global provider of pharmaceutical ingredients, systems and services, where he helped lead the sustainable improvement of its strategic development and execution. Prior to SPI Pharma, Scott was a senior executive at BASF and was responsible for several global life science and specialty ingredients businesses.

“Scott has an impressive tenure of driving long-term growth, and we look forward to welcoming Scott as we bring our client-centric, flexible customer service model and extensive product offerings to an increasing number of geographies, customers and applications,” said Rakesh Sachdev, Chairman of Actylis. “We also want to thank Gilles Cottier for his leadership as CEO of Actylis over the last five years and wish him well in his retirement.”

Joe Walker, Managing Director at New Mountain Capital, said, “Since New Mountain’s investment in 2019, Actylis has transformed into a leading manufacturer and distributor of key ingredients in pharma, biopharma, nutritional, agri-science, cosmetics and specialty chemicals markets, completing seven acquisitions and substantially expanding the company’s global reach. We are excited for Scott to leverage and accelerate Actylis’ strong growth trajectory with increasing emphasis on high growth end markets and products.”

Andre Moura, Managing Director at New Mountain Capital, added, “Actylis has tremendous runway for sustainable growth due to its strong value proposition and market positioning. We are thrilled to invest further and support Scott and the management team to realize the company’s long-term strategic vision.”

Actylis offers standard and custom ingredients through a rapidly growing portfolio of GMP and non-GMP facilities worldwide, as well as through the company’s strong sourcing partner network. Actylis’ hybrid manufacturing and global sourcing model for ingredients and raw materials delivers the most flexible and reliable solutions for its customers’ unique manufacturing requirements, supported by industry-leading standards of quality documentation and regulatory compliance.

Scott Thomson, CEO of Actylis, commented, “I feel privileged to lead the Actylis team at this exciting juncture, and I look forward to partnering with our customers, Actylis’ management and employees, and New Mountain to grow and further develop Actylis’ offerings. There is significant opportunity to accelerate the company’s growth and I look forward to building upon the company’s achievements to date both organically and inorganically.”

About Actylis

Actylis is a leading global manufacturer and sourcing expert of critical materials and performance ingredients for the life sciences and specialty chemicals markets. Actylis has a presence in 10 countries spanning three continents and offers more than 4,000 products supported by over 800 employees. Actylis has more than 75 years of manufacturing and sourcing experience across both GMP and non-GMP facilities and offers customers the flexibility to choose from a wide range of individualized solutions, all backed by the same world-class quality, supply chain reliability and regulatory expertise. Its capabilities encompass the entire R&D, product development and manufacturing spectrum, including technical sales support, R&D, manufacturing and production, quality, supply chain, global sourcing, and regulatory compliance. Actylis serves pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, nutritional, cosmetics, agri-science and specialty chemical end markets. The company is headquartered in Port Washington, New York. https://actylis.com/

About New Mountain Capital

New Mountain Capital is a New York-based investment firm that emphasizes business building and growth, rather than debt, as it pursues long-term capital appreciation. The firm currently manages private equity, credit and net lease investment strategies with approximately $50 billion in assets under management. New Mountain Capital seeks out what it believes to be the highest quality growth leaders in carefully selected industry sectors and then works intensively with management to build the value of these companies. For more information on New Mountain Capital, please visit https://www.newmountaincapital.com/.

Media Contact:

Actylis

Paul Staunton

pstaunton@actylis.com

New Mountain Capital

Dana Gorman

H/Advisors Abernathy

dana.gorman@h-advisors.global

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Sands Capital’s Pulse Fund III Secures $555M Close

Sands Capital

The Life Sciences Pulse strategy partners with private companies helping transform how diseases are defined, diagnosed, and treated.

Sands Capital is pleased to announce the close of our third life sciences fund, Sands Capital Life Sciences Pulse Fund III (“Pulse III”), raising $555 million. Pulse III was met with high demand from both existing and new limited partners. This close increases total Pulse strategy capital commitments to $1.3 billion, including Sands Capital Life Sciences Pulse Fund (“Pulse I”) and Sands Capital Life Sciences Pulse Fund II (“Pulse II”). The team will continue investing with the same emphasis on private therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, and life sciences tools businesses, in support of the strategy’s mission to help transform how diseases are defined, diagnosed, and treated.

“The life sciences sector continues to innovate at a rapid pace, leading to breakthroughs that benefit both patients and society as a whole.”

“The life sciences sector continues to innovate at a rapid pace, leading to breakthroughs that benefit both patients and society as a whole,” said Stephen Zachary, Managing Partner. “We are grateful to both the investors joining us in Pulse III and the talented management teams we’ve partnered with since the strategy’s inception.”

The Pulse investment team comprises senior professionals led by founders, operators, PhDs, and experienced investors with the ability to leverage the resources and capabilities of the entire firm to execute its strategy. The team also draws upon Sands Capital’s more than three decades of deep research and experience investing in innovation in public markets.

Disclosures:

As of October 1, 2021, Sands Capital was redefined to be the combination of Sands Capital Management, LLC and Sands Capital Ventures. Both firms are registered investment advisers with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in accordance with the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The two registered investment advisers are combined to be one firm and are doing business as Sands Capital. Sands Capital operates as a distinct business organization, retains discretion over the assets between the two registered investment advisers, and has autonomy over the total investment decision-making process.

This communication is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer, invitation, or recommendation to buy, sell, subscribe for, or issue any securities. The material is based on information that we consider correct, and any estimates, opinions, conclusions, or recommendations contained in this communication are reasonably held or made at the time of compilation. However, no warranty is made as to the accuracy or reliability of any estimates, opinions, conclusions, or recommendations. It should not be construed as investment, legal, or tax advice and may not be reproduced or distributed to any person.

The activities of the Life Sciences Pulse Team, including investment due diligence and sourcing, may be supported on an ad hoc basis by various members of the broader global research team of Sands Capital Management. Please refer to the biographies of the Life Sciences Pulse Strategy Team members. Members of the Life Sciences Pulse team also provide services with respect to other strategies of Sands Capital.

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