Tag Archives: Biotechnology

bluebird bio Announces Completion of Acquisition by Carlyle and SK Capital

Carlyle

New management, led by David Meek, is committed to rapidly scaling access to lifechanging gene therapies

Significant capital commitment from Carlyle and SK Capital will enable bluebird to grow and accelerate patient access

bluebird will focus on expanding manufacturing capacity and improving the treatment experience for patients and providers

SOMERVILLE, Mass. — June 2, 2025 — bluebird bio (NASDAQ: BLUE) (“bluebird”), a pioneer in gene therapies for severe genetic diseases, today announced the completion of its sale to funds managed by global investment firms Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) and SK Capital Partners, LP (“SK Capital”). With the closing of the transaction, bluebird’s common stock has ceased trading and will no longer be publicly listed. Carlyle and SK Capital have provided significant primary capital to support and scale bluebird’s commercial delivery of gene therapies for patients with sickle cell disease, β-thalassemia, and cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy.

David Meek, who became Chief Executive Officer of bluebird at close, said, “Today marks the beginning of a new era for bluebird as its go-forward financial backing and leadership team will better enable all stakeholders to realize the full potential of our revolutionary therapies. Historically, bluebird has excelled as a scientific innovator and should be very proud of the many achievements it has delivered to patients. Our vision is to further that legacy of scientific excellence while improving the commercial execution of our approved products to rapidly expand access to lifechanging gene therapies.”

“We are excited to back bluebird in partnership with SK Capital. We believe providing bluebird the necessary funding along with the new leadership team will help bluebird realize its full potential,” said Joe Bress, Carlyle Partner and Global Co-Head of Healthcare. Bali Muralidhar, Co-Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer & COO of Abingworth, Carlyle’s life sciences investment franchise, added, “There is an incredible opportunity to bring bluebird’s groundbreaking therapies to more patients in need, and we look forward to advancing bluebird in its mission.”

“SK Capital looks forward to partnering with David and his team as well as Carlyle to scale bluebird’s pioneering gene therapies that can make a lifechanging difference for patients around the world,” said Aaron Davenport, Managing Director at SK Capital, adding, “We believe our deep collective experience in manufacturing and commercializing therapies can help drive the next chapter of bluebird’s growth.”

Incoming Team Bolsters Commercial Gene Therapy Experience 

The company’s momentum is reinforced by a deeply experienced management team, led by CEO David Meek. David brings more than 30 years of leadership in life sciences, including as CEO of Mirati Therapeutics and Ipsen. David is joined by Tom Klima as Chief Commercial & Operating Officer, Debasish Roychowdhury, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer, Wendy DiCicco as Chief Financial Officer, and Ellen Forest as Chief People Officer. Additional details are available at https://www.bluebirdbio.com/about-us/leadership.

From Scientific Breakthroughs to Delivery at Scale

With the transaction now closed, bluebird is prioritizing expanding its manufacturing infrastructure, streamlining the patient journey, supporting treatment centers, and strengthening its payer partnerships. The acquisition provides the strategic and financial backing needed to meet rising demand and drive commercial and operational excellence across the organization.

“bluebird has demonstrated what’s possible through effective gene therapy,” David added. “Now we will build the ecosystem to ensure every patient who needs these therapies can access them.”

About bluebird bio

bluebird bio is a commercial-stage biotherapeutics company focused on developing and delivering gene therapies for severe genetic diseases. With more than a decade of scientific leadership in gene therapy and three FDA-approved therapies for sickle cell disease, β-thalassemia, and cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, the company is committed to ensuring access, reliability, and patient-centered care. bluebird is headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts.

About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and conducts its operations through three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Carlyle AlpInvest. With $453 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2025, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies, and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,300 people in 29 offices across four continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on X @OneCarlyle and LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group.

About SK Capital

SK Capital is a transformational private investment firm with a disciplined focus on the life sciences, specialty materials, and ingredients sectors. The firm seeks to build resilient, sustainable, and growing businesses that create substantial long-term value. SK Capital aims to utilize its industry, operating, and investment experience to identify opportunities to transform businesses into higher performing organizations with improved strategic positioning, growth, and profitability, as well as lower operating risk. SK Capital currently has approximately $10 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2024. For more information, please visit www.skcapitalpartners.com.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on historical performance and current expectations and projections about bluebird’s future goals, plans and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them in the next several years, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond bluebird’s control and could cause bluebird’s future goals, plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many risks and uncertainties that affect bluebird bio’s business, particularly those identified in the risk factors discussion in bluebird bio’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as updated by its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the SEC. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the risk that the efficacy and safety results from bluebird’s prior and ongoing clinical trials will not continue or be seen in the commercial context; the risk that there is not sufficient patient demand or payer reimbursement to support continued commercialization of bluebird’s products; the risk of insertional oncogenic or other safety events associated with lentiviral vector, drug product, or myeloablation, including the risk of hematologic malignancy; and the risk that bluebird’s products will not be successfully commercialized. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and except as otherwise required by applicable law, bluebird bio undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

Contacts: 

 

Bluebird

Courtney O’Leary 

+1 (978) 621-7347

coleary@bluebirdbio.com

 

Carlyle

Brittany Berliner
+1 (212) 813-4839
brittany.berliner@carlyle.com

 

SK Capital

Ben Dillon

+1 (646) 278-1353 
bdillon@skcapitalpartners.com

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Maven leads investment alongside Northstar Ventures in contract research organisation (CRO) Magnitude Biosciences to drive development of next-generation drug screening platform.

Maven

Magnitude Biosciences, a specialist contract research organisation based in County Durham, has secured over £700,000 to scale its high-throughput screening platform for in vivo discovery of treatments for age-related conditions and other diseases using C. elegans, a species of nematode worms.

The investment was led by NPIF II – Maven Equity Finance, which is managed by Maven as part of the British Business Bank’s Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II, and the Finance Durham Fund, established by Durham County Council and overseen by Business Durham, as well as continued support from existing investors NorthStar Ventures. The investment was matched with grant funding from Innovate UK through the Investor Partnerships: Digital Technologies North East programme.

This funding will enable Magnitude Biosciences to enhance its proprietary WormGazer® technology, integrating robotics, machine learning, and liquid culture systems to create a novel HTS platform capable of screening thousands of compounds per week. By rapidly analysing whole-organism data with advanced machine learning technology, this platform enables pharmaceutical, nutrition, and health supplement companies to quickly identify compounds that may support healthier aging, accelerating discovery, lowering costs, and reducing reliance on traditional testing models.

The expansion will create high skilled jobs in robotics, software engineering, and biological sciences at the company’s base in NETPark (Sedgefield) strengthening the North East’s reputation as a growing hub for digital and life science innovation

Fozia-Saleem-Magnitude-BiosciencesPictured: Dr Fozia Saleem

Fozia featured on Maven’s Invested Podcast mini-series ‘Scaling for Success.’

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support from Innovate UK, Maven and Northstar as we scale our HTS platform. This funding accelerates our mission to revolutionise drug discovery bringing life-changing therapies to patients faster, cutting costs and timelines, and transforming how we tackle the world’s toughest-to-treat diseases while reducing dependence on traditional animal models.”

Dr Fozia Saleem, CEO of Magnitude Biosciences

“Magnitude Biosciences is building the kind of scalable, high-impact technology we look for at Maven. Their HTS platform meets a clear need in early-stage drug discovery. Fozia is also an excellent role model for the region, through her work at Magnitude and as the Vice Chair of the Lifted Project Newcastle Board, where she is helping drive greater investment into female led businesses. We are delighted to support Fozia and her team on their exciting journey.”

Michael Dickens, Investment Manager at Maven

“The North East is increasingly becoming an epicentre for innovation in the UK and Magnitude Biosciences is a good example of the technology-enabled businesses that NPIF II is able to champion. Empowering female leaders in the science and technology space is also crucial to enabling a more diverse and prosperous economy. We’re excited to see the impact the business will achieve, creating jobs in the region and furthering the important work they are committed to.”

Sarah Newbould, Senior Investment Manager at British Business Bank

“Magnitude Biosciences is a fantastic example of the type of innovative, high-growth business that Finance Durham was established to support. We’re proud to back their continued development at NETPark, where they are not only scaling cutting-edge drug discovery technologies but also playing a vital role in the strength and vibrancy of the science park community.”

Kerry Walker, Business Growth Director at Business Durham

This investment is the latest deal backed by Maven’s client funds in the North East, highlighting our strong track record in supporting high-potential businesses and the region’s growing opportunities to drive innovation and growth. Across the region, Maven has backed plant-based food business, Tiba Tempeh, FinTech specialist, Kani Payments, food and beverage canning business, CRL Foods, solar film technology specialist, Power Roll, and Radio-frequency identification (RFID) innovator, PervasID.

NPIF II – Maven Equity Finance can provide investment of up to £5 million to support ambitious earlier and later stage businesses across the North East of England. If your business, or the business you advise, is looking for an equity investment as a solution to fund future growth, get in touch here >

Posted in:
NPIF Maven Equity Finance    Finance Durham Fund

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A new chapter begins. AstraZeneca has completed their acquisition of EsoBiotec

Thuja Capital

Jean-Pierre Latere, Philippe Parone, and the entire EsoBiotec team will continue their development of the EsoBiotec Engineered NanoBody Lentiviral (ENaBL) platform with an exciting new partner in AstraZeneca.  This is a tremendous milestone for patients as the combination of EsoBiotec and AZ will accelerate the development of their in vivo cell therapy technology which empowers the immune system to attack cancers while potentially increasing access to this transformative therapy for many more patients. This is also a great milestone for Wallonia, and Belgium as a whole, as this will further expand the critical biotechnology resources and infrastructure in the region.

We are excited to see what this impressive new team will achieve together, and we wholeheartedly congratulate JP and everyone at EsoBiotec for their tremendous hard work to get this far.

Link to press release: https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2025/acquisition-of-esobiotec-completed.html

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TA Welcomes Astorg as a New Investor in Leading Biotech Ingredients Manufacturer, Solabia

TA associates

Luxembourg/London/Paris – Astorg, a leading pan-European private equity firm, is pleased to announce that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Solabia Group (“Solabia” or “the Company”), a global biotechnology ingredient solutions provider, from TA Associates (“TA”), a leading global private equity firm, who will reinvest in the business. Astorg will partner with TA to support Solabia in executing its growth plan, focused on international expansion and product innovation, through a combination of organic initiatives and targeted M&A.

Founded in 1972, Solabia specializes in natural active ingredients for the cosmetics, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, as well as food and clinical testing industries. Leveraging advanced biotechnology capabilities – including fermentation, enzymatic synthesis, plant extraction, and green chemistry – Solabia develops high-performance ingredients that support precise formulation needs and enable differentiated product outcomes for its customers.

The Company holds leading positions across its market segments, driven by technological differentiation. Solabia’s active ingredients play a critical role in its customer formulations and end-products quality, contributing to high customer retention and long-term supplier integration. Solabia is positioned in dynamic and resilient end-markets and benefits from the continued penetration of natural ingredients in substitution to synthetic compounds.

Headquartered in Paris, Solabia operates 11 manufacturing sites and 8 R&D labs worldwide and employs over 900 staff. It is one of the few independent natural active ingredients platforms at scale combining deep technological expertise with strong global distribution capabilities.

Building on Solabia’s strong track record, marked by double-digit growth in the past five years, Astorg, TA and Solabia’s management team will focus on further accelerating international expansion – particularly in the US and Asia – and advancing the Company’s innovation roadmap, while continuing to benefit from strong market tailwinds.

Jean-Baptiste Dellon, President & Chief Executive Officer, Solabia, said:

“We are excited to welcome Astorg as a strategic partner and to continue our successful collaboration with TA. Astorg brings a unique combination of deep sector expertise, a strong track record of value creation, and an entrepreneurial mindset that aligns closely with Solabia’s values and ambitions. Their support will be instrumental as we accelerate innovation, expand our global footprint, and continue delivering high-performance, science-based solutions to our customers around the world.”

Nicolas Marien, Partner, Astorg and Paul Arhanchiague, Managing Director, Astorg added:

“With its unique position in a structurally growing market – driven by rising global demand for natural active ingredient solutions – deep biotech expertise, and a strong track record of sustained growth, Solabia exemplifies the type of international B2B leader that Astorg is proud to support. We look forward to partnering with Jean-Baptiste and the Solabia team to build upon this solid foundation and drive the next phase of growth through a targeted value creation plan.”

Patrick Sader, Managing Director, TA, and Jérémy Dréan, Director, TA, said:

“Since our initial investment in 2018, it has been a privilege to support Solabia’s transformation into a leading vertically integrated natural and biotech life sciences and health platform. Under the leadership of Jean- Baptiste Dellon and his team, Solabia has scaled, achieving strong organic and external growth. We remain confident in the company’s strategic vision and long-term growth potential, and are thrilled to be part of its continued journey alongside Astorg.”

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the coming months. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Astorg was advised by Evercore and Wil Partners (Financial advisors), and Weil Gotshal & Manges (Legal advisor). Solabia management was advised by Sycomore (Financial advisor) and Jeausserand-Audouard (Legal & Tax advisors). TA was advised by BofA Securities (Financial advisor) and Latham & Watkins (Legal advisor).

Solabia
Solabia is a vertically integrated manufacturer of natural active and functional ingredients for cosmetics, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Solabia is also a producer of culture media and detection kits for food testing, clinical, pharmaceutical and microbiology laboratories. With multiple production facilities and R&D centres, Solabia is a major player in the global cosmetics, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical ingredient markets, as well as food and clinical testing industries. More information can be found at: https://www.solabia.com/en

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Carlyle and SK Capital Partners Announce Extension of bluebird bio Tender Offer to May 2, 2025

Carlyle

WASHINGTON, DC and NEW YORK, NY—April 16, 2025—Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) (“Carlyle”), SK Capital Partners, LP (“SK Capital”) and Beacon Parent Holdings, L.P. (“Parent”) today announced that Beacon Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”) has extended the expiration date of its offer (the “Offer”) to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of bluebird bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUE) (“bluebird”), to expire at one minute after 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on May 2, 2025.  The Offer was previously scheduled to expire one minute after 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on April 18, 2025. The tender offer was extended to allow additional time for the satisfaction of the remaining conditions to the tender offer, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals.

Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, the depositary for the Offer, has advised Merger Sub that as of the close of business on April 15, 2025, approximately 700,288 shares of bluebird common stock have been validly tendered and not properly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer. Holders that have previously tendered their shares do not need to re-tender their shares or take any other action in response to this extension.

The Offer is being made pursuant to the terms and conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, dated March 7, 2025 (as amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Offer to Purchase”), the related letter of transmittal and certain other offer documents, copies of which are attached to the tender offer statement on Schedule TO filed by Parent and Merger Sub with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 7, 2025, as amended.

The Offer is conditioned upon the fulfilment of certain conditions described in “Section 15—Conditions to the Offer” of the Offer to Purchase, including, but not limited to, the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of bluebird, receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.

About bluebird bio, Inc.

Founded in 2010, bluebird has been setting the standard for gene therapy for more than a decade—first as a scientific pioneer and now as a commercial leader. bluebird has an unrivaled track record in bringing the promise of gene therapy out of clinical studies and into the real-world setting, having secured FDA approvals for three therapies in under two years. Today, we are proving and scaling the commercial model for gene therapy and delivering innovative solutions for access to patients, providers, and payers.

With a dedicated focus on severe genetic diseases, bluebird has the largest and deepest ex-vivo gene therapy data set in the field, with industry-leading programs for sickle cell disease, ß-thalassemia, and cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy. We custom design each of our therapies to address the underlying cause of disease and have developed in-depth and effective analytical methods to understand the safety of our lentiviral vector technologies and drive the field of gene therapy forward.

bluebird continues to forge new paths as a standalone commercial gene therapy company, combining our real-world experience with a deep commitment to patient communities and a people-centric culture that attracts and grows a diverse flock of dedicated birds.

About Carlyle

Carlyle (NASDAQ: CG) is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across its business and conducts its operations through three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit and Global Investment Solutions. With $441 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2024, Carlyle’s purpose is to invest wisely and create value on behalf of its investors, portfolio companies and the communities in which we live and invest. Carlyle employs more than 2,300 people in 29 offices across four continents. Further information is available at www.carlyle.com. Follow Carlyle on X @OneCarlyle and LinkedIn at The Carlyle Group.

About SK Capital 

SK Capital is a transformational private investment firm with a disciplined focus on the life sciences, specialty materials, and ingredients sectors. The firm seeks to build resilient, sustainable, and growing businesses that create substantial long-term value. SK Capital aims to utilize its industry, operating, and investment experience to identify opportunities to transform businesses into higher performing organizations with improved strategic positioning, growth, and profitability, as well as lower operating risk. SK Capital’s portfolio of businesses generates revenues of approximately $12 billion annually, employs more than 25,000 people globally, and operates more than 200 plants in over 30 countries. The firm currently has approximately $9 billion in assets under management. For more information, please visit www.skcapitalpartners.com. 

 

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication is not an offer to buy nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities of bluebird. The solicitation and the offer to buy shares of bluebird’s common stock is only being made pursuant to the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO, including an offer to purchase, a letter of transmittal and other related materials, that Parent and Merger Sub filed with the SEC. In addition, bluebird filed with the SEC a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer. Investors may obtain a free copy of these materials and other documents filed by Parent, Merger Sub and bluebird with the SEC at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Investors may also obtain, at no charge, any such documents filed with or furnished to the SEC by (i) bluebird under the “Investors & Media” section of bluebird’s website at www.bluebirdbio.com or (ii) by Parent and Merger Sub by calling Innisfree M&A Incorporated, the information agent for the Offer, toll-free at (877) 825-8793 for stockholders or by calling collect at (212) 750-5833 for banks or brokers.

INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9 OF BLUEBIRD AND ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE TENDER OFFER AND THE MERGER THAT ARE FILED WITH THE SEC, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY PRIOR TO MAKING ANY DECISIONS WITH RESPECT TO WHETHER TO TENDER THEIR SHARES INTO THE TENDER OFFER BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE TENDER OFFER.

Investors & Media Contacts 

Bluebird 

Investors: 

Courtney O’Leary

978-621-7347

coleary@bluebirdbio.com

Media: 

Jess Rowlands

857-299-6103

jess.rowlands@bluebirdbio.com

 

Carlyle 

Media: 

Brittany Berliner

+1 (212) 813-4839

brittany.berliner@carlyle.com

SK Capital 

Ben Dillon

+1(646)-278-1353  

bdillon@skcapitalpartners.com

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Blackstone Life Sciences and Anthos Therapeutics Announce Novartis has Completed the Acquisition of Anthos Therapeutics in a Deal Valued at up to $3.1B, with $925M Paid Upfront

Blackstone

The deal affirms Blackstone’s vision of building companies around innovative products to meet unmet patient needs

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 03, 2025 – Blackstone Life Sciences and Anthos Therapeutics, Inc., a transformative, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases, announced today that Novartis has completed its acquisition of Anthos Therapeutics in a transaction valued at 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. Abelacimab is currently in Phase 3 clinical development for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (LILAC-TIMI 76), in addition to 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.

Transaction Details
Anthos shareholders will receive up to $3.1 billion in total deal value, including an upfront payment of $925 million, and payments in the event certain regulatory and commercial milestones are achieved.

Advisors
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as the lead financial advisor to Anthos. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC also served as a financial advisor, and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal advisor to Anthos.

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.

About Anthos Therapeutics
Founded by BXLS in 2019, Anthos Therapeutics is a transformative, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with exclusive global rights from Novartis Pharma AG to develop, manufacture and commercialize abelacimab. BXLS was the majority investor in the company, joined by other partners including Novo Holdings. For more information about Anthos, visit the Company’s website.

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.

Media Contact

Blackstone
Paula Chirhart
Paula.Chirhart@blackstone.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 expected benefits of Novartis’ acquisition of Anthos, future opportunities for the combined businesses, 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 risk that the expected benefits or synergies of the acquisition will not be realized and (ii) the risk that the milestones may not be achieved and resulting payments may not be realized,  and (iii) unanticipated impact of the acquisition, including the response of business partners and competitors to the announcement of the acquisition or difficulties in employee retention. The actual financial impact of this transaction may differ from the expected financial impact described in this press release. In addition, the product candidate described in this press release is subject to all the risks inherent in the drug development process, and there can be no assurance that its development 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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Sylvan Receives Investment from Novo Holdings to Drive Further Growth

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KKR

Transaction marks Novo Holdings’ largest investment in the planetary health space in Asia

BEIJING–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Novo Holdings, a leading global life science investor, and KKR, a leading global investment firm, today announced the signing of definitive agreements under which Novo Holdings will make a direct investment in Sylvan, a world-leading manufacturer of fungal biotechnology solutions (or the “Company”). KKR will remain the Company’s majority shareholder.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250402251805/en/

Novo Holdings’ investment in Sylvan marks its largest planetary health investment in Asia and its first in the fungal biotechnology sector, both of which are strategic priorities due to their growth prospects and potential for impact on planetary health.

The new capital will support Sylvan’s expansion by enabling increased production capacity, upgraded R&D infrastructure, and deeper penetration into high-growth markets, particularly in Asia. Sylvan will also benefit from Novo Holdings’ extensive network and sector expertise to further strengthen its position in the global mushroom spawn market and develop new high-impact bio-products, such as fungi-based materials, biopesticides, and nutritional supplements.

Founded in 1932, Sylvan is the world’s largest mushroom spawn and fungal biotechnology company and headquartered in China. The company seeks to harness the potential of fungal systems to create sustainable solutions to address global challenges in food, health, agriculture, and materials. Today, the Company operates multiple production facilities around the world and serves customers across 65 countries.

From spawning to cultivation, the modern mushroom sector offers significant sustainability benefits and circular economy value to planetary health. It requires minimal land and water compared to traditional agriculture and utilizes agricultural waste as raw materials to produce high-quality proteins. Sylvan views China as an important growth market, where the downstream mushroom cultivation sector has experienced strong industrialization transition tailwinds, which is driving greater demand for spawn and supporting the acceleration of agricultural modernization and rural economic growth across the country.

Jackie Qi, CEO of Sylvan, said, “Sylvan is delighted to welcome Novo Holdings as our latest investor and to have the continued support of KKR, who have been a terrific strategic partner in our value creation journey. With this latest milestone, we are in an excellent position to pursue our ambition to become a global leader in fungal biotechnology solutions across four unique markets: Food, Health, Agriculture, and Materials, and will look to leverage their global networks and expertise to take Sylvan to the next level of transformation.”

Amit Kakar, Managing Partner and Head of Asia, and Deepa Hingorani, Partner, Head of Planetary Health Asia, Novo Holdings, jointly added, “Sylvan represents a significant milestone for our global Planetary Health strategy and underscores our growing presence in Asia. As a leader in fungal biotechnology, Sylvan is well-positioned to deliver sustainable innovations that support food security, reduce chemical use, and build a circular bioeconomy. We look forward to collaborating with KKR to help Sylvan scale its impact, particularly across dynamic markets in Asia, and advance our shared vision for a healthier and more sustainable planet.”

Chris Sun, Partner and Head of China Private Equity, KKR, said, “We are pleased to welcome Novo Holdings given their significant expertise in life sciences and planetary health. KKR is aligned with Novo Holdings in our commitment to drive the creation of sustainable global solutions. We are proud of the tremendous progress Sylvan has achieved and believe this new strategic partnership will enable it to unlock even greater growth.”

Novo Holdings’ Planetary Health Investments team spans three continents (Europe, North America and Asia), and invests in areas where science and technology can deliver returns while tackling global challenges, including feeding a growing world population, fighting climate change and drought, or creating sustainable cities.

About Sylvan

Sylvan is a fungal biotechnology company, unlocking the incredible potential of the Earth’s ancient fungi. We believe these resilient fungi, having evolved over millions of years, hold the key to overcoming many of the problems our planet faces today and into the future. Our goal is simple: harness the power of fungi and create sustainable solutions to address global challenges in food, health, agriculture, and materials.

About Novo Holdings

Novo Holdings is a holding and investment company that is responsible for managing the assets and the wealth of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The purpose of Novo Holdings is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet by generating attractive long-term returns on the assets of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Novo Holdings is the controlling shareholder of Novo Nordisk A/S and Novonesis A/S and manages an investment portfolio with a long-term return perspective. In addition to managing a broad portfolio of equities, bonds, real estate, infrastructure and private equity assets, Novo Holdings is a world-leading life sciences investor. Through its Seed, Venture, Growth, Asia, Planetary Health and Principal Investments teams, Novo Holdings invests in life science companies at all stages of development. As of year-end 2024, Novo Holdings had total assets of €142 billion. www.novoholdings.dk

About KKR

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 www.globalatlantic.com.

Media Contact

For Sylvan
Melinda Kong
melinda.kong@sylvaninc.com

For Novo Holdings
Paul Ewing-Chow
pec@novo.dk

For KKR Asia Pacific
Wei Jun Ong
WeiJun.Ong@kkr.com

Source: KKR

 

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Atsena Therapeutics Announces Oversubscribed $150 Million Series C Financing to Further Advance Ocular Gene Therapy Programs

BainCapital

  • Financing led by new investor Bain Capital with participation from new investor Wellington Management and all existing investors
  • Proceeds to support advancement of ATSN-201 through potential approval and launch as well as preclinical programs to treat inherited retinal diseases
  • Norbert Riedel, PhD, will join Atsena’s Board of Directors

DURHAM, NC, April 2, 2025 – Atsena Therapeutics (“Atsena” or “the Company”), a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on bringing the life-changing power of genetic medicine to reverse or prevent blindness, today announced the successful close of an oversubscribed $150 million Series C financing. The financing was led by Bain Capital’s Life Sciences team, with participation from an additional new investor, Wellington Management. All the Company’s existing investors also participated in the round, including Lightstone Ventures, Sofinnova Investments, Abingworth, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Hatteras Venture Partners, Osage University Partners, and the Manning Family Foundation.

Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance Atsena’s lead program, ATSN-201, for the treatment of X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS), a genetic condition that is typically diagnosed in childhood and leads to blindness later in life. The proceeds will also support Atsena’s preclinical pipeline of first-in-class therapies and expand the use of Atsena’s novel spreading AAV.SPR capsid.

“Closing our Series C marks a pivotal moment for Atsena as we advance our transformative ocular gene therapies and fuel our next phase of growth, innovation, and clinical progress,” said Patrick Ritschel, Chief Executive Officer of Atsena Therapeutics. “It follows a productive 12 months of key achievements including securing a partner to advance ATSN-101 to a global pivotal trial for Leber Congenital Amaurosis type 1 (LCA1) and initiating Part B of the ATSN-201 LIGHTHOUSE study for XLRS. We’re grateful for the support of our investors and partners who share our vision for the future of leveraging genetic medicine to reverse or prevent blindness.”

To date, Atsena’s clinical portfolio has received multiple designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ATSN-101, for the treatment of LCA1, has received Rare Pediatric Disease designation, Orphan Drug Designation, and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation. ATSN-201 has been granted Fast Track, Rare Pediatric Disease, and Orphan Drug Designations. Updated data from the ongoing LIGHTHOUSE Phase I/II clinical trial evaluating ATSN-201 is anticipated later this year.

“We believe Atsena has a unique opportunity to deliver meaningful impact for patients with inherited retinal diseases on the basis of novel science and impressive clinical data generated to date,” said Amir Zamani, a Partner at Bain Capital Life Sciences. “We look forward to supporting Patrick and his strong team as they look to unlock the next phase of Atsena’s growth and innovation while thoughtfully advancing potentially groundbreaking therapies toward patients in need.”

In conjunction with the financing, Norbert Riedel, PhD, a seasoned scientist and biopharmaceutical executive, will join Atsena’s Board of Directors.

Wedbush & Co. served as exclusive placement agent to Atsena for the Series C financing, Cooley LLP acted as its legal advisor.

About Atsena Therapeutics
Atsena Therapeutics (“Atsena”) is a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing best-in-class treatments for the reversal or prevention of blindness from inherited retinal diseases. The company’s lead program is evaluating ATSN-201 in an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial for X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS), a genetic condition that is typically diagnosed in childhood and leads to blindness later in life. ATSN-101, Atsena’s first-in-class, investigational gene therapy for Leber congenital amaurosis type 1 (LCA1) has completed a Phase 1 / 2 trial with positive results (https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(24)01447-8). Atsena is advancing ATSN-101 toward the initiation of a global pivotal trial as part of its exclusive strategic collaboration with Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. Atsena’s pipeline is powered by novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) technology tailored to overcome the hurdles presented by inherited retinal diseases. Founded by pioneers in ocular gene therapy, Atsena is led by an experienced team dedicated to addressing the needs of patients with vision loss. For more information, please visit https://atsenatx.com/.

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 Scott Lessne

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FairJourney Biologics Acquires Charles River Laboratories South San Francisco Facility

GHO Capital
  • Acquisition of Charles River site, previously Distributed Bio, strengthens antibody discovery capabilities with SuperHuman libraries and Yeast Display platform
  • Established presence in major North American biotechnology cluster extends FairJourney’s global reach

London, UK – Global Healthcare Opportunities, or GHO Capital Partners LLP (“GHO”), the European specialist investor in global healthcare, acknowledges the announcement from its portfolio company FairJourney Biologics regarding its acquisition of the South San Francisco site from Charles River Laboratories International, Inc.

FairJourney Biologics S.A., leaders in the discovery and optimisation of antibodies, announced that it had completed the acquisition of the South San Francisco site from Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. The acquisition aligns with FairJourney’s ongoing strategic growth plan, and will significantly bolster the Company’s antibody discovery and engineering capabilities, strengthening its technology portfolio and expanding its global presence with a key biotechnology hub in the US.

The acquisition of the South San Francisco site, formerly Distributed Bio, will transfer ownership of all facilities, staff and assets to FairJourney Biologics, including proprietary technologies such as the SuperHuman™, Cosmic™ and Tungsten™ libraries. By integrating these libraries within FairJourney’s own portfolio of antibody discovery technologies, the Company will offer customers a more diverse array of antibody discovery tools, and bring new antibody engineering solutions to its portfolio. Under the agreement, FairJourney will also acquire Charles Rivers’ Yeast Display method, allowing the Company to offer an expanded antibody discovery platform that can complement and enhance existing offerings.

South San Francisco hosts one of the world’s largest biotech clusters. Establishing facilities in this region forms a core part of the Company’s ongoing development strategy, strengthening its reach and physical presence in a major global market. The acquisition will provide customers in this region with a localised source of expertise and technical support, helping them to accelerate their antibody discovery and engineering pipelines. The deal will also enable FairJourney to leverage the industry-leading scientific expertise of the South San Francisco team, promoting new opportunities for collaborative projects, both internally and with leading global biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

“We’re pleased to announce this strategic acquisition that will bring the exceptional team at Charles River’s South San Francisco site, as well as their cutting-edge technologies, into FairJourney. Said António Parada, CEO, FairJourney Biologics. He continued: “By combining our expertise, we not only strengthen our portfolio with powerful solutions such as the SuperHuman Libraries, but also enhance our ability to deliver innovative solutions to our partners. Working together, we can push the boundaries of antibody discovery and set new industry standards.”

About GHO Capital:
Global Healthcare Opportunities, or GHO Capital Partners LLP, is a leading specialist healthcare investment advisor based in London. GHO Capital applies global capabilities and perspectives to unlock high growth healthcare opportunities, targeting Pan-European and transatlantic internationalisation to build market leading businesses of strategic global value. GHO Capital’s proven investment track record reflects the unrivalled depth of our industry expertise and network. GHO Capital partners with strong management teams to generate long-term sustainable value, improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery to enable better, faster, more accessible healthcare. For further information, please visit www.ghocapital.com.

 

About FairJourney Biologics
FairJourney Biologics is a leading biologics CRO, providing integrated services across antibody discovery, engineering and production to global biopharma. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Porto, FairJourney has grown to over 90 highly technically skilled employees today. The Company operates a flexible, customer-oriented ‘one-stop shop’ approach to biologics development focused on quality, reliability and partnership. FairJourney has successfully completed more than 460 projects for over 70 customers across big pharma and leading biotech companies to date. The Company’s significant expertise in phage display technology, combined with a diverse approach to generating both immune and naïve antibody libraries have contributed to a market leading 99%+ project success rate. For further information, please visit www.fjb.pt.

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Avid Bioservices Poised for Significant Growth with New Partners GHO Capital and Ampersand Capital Partners

Ampersand
  • Acquisition of biologics Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation Avid Bioservices now completed
  • GHO and Ampersand’s deep experience in CDMO investing to support Avid’s next stage of rapid growth including expanded offerings, talent investment and greater geographic reach

London, UK, and Boston, MA, February 5, 2025 — GHO Capital Partners LLP (“GHO”), the European specialist investor in global healthcare, and Ampersand Capital Partners (“Ampersand”), a private equity firm specialising in growth equity investments in the life sciences and healthcare sectors, today announced the successful closing of the previously announced acquisition of Avid Bioservices (“Avid”), a dedicated biologics Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (“CDMO”) working to improve patient lives by providing high quality development and manufacturing services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

On 7 November 2024, GHO and Ampersand entered into a definitive merger agreement for Avid to be acquired by funds managed by GHO and Ampersand in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.1 billion.

Avid has experienced significant growth in recent years, offering its clients full lifecycle capabilities—from concept to commercial supply. With substantial investment already made by the company in its capacity at its state-of-the art facilities and its expertise in bioprocess optimisation, analytical testing, and regulatory compliance, Avid delivers high-quality, industry leading complex biologics to a roster of international customers.

GHO has considerable expertise in the CDMO sector through investments in its portfolio in companies like Ardena, Sterling Pharma Solutions, RoslinCT, and Alcami Corporation. Its strategy focuses on expanding technological capabilities, driving acquisitions, and supporting transatlantic expansion across the CDMO value chain, from early-stage development to commercial manufacturing. Leveraging its healthcare expertise and network, GHO Capital transforms CDMOs to enhance their services and market reach, ultimately delivering better, faster and more accessible healthcare.

Alan MacKay and Mike Mortimer, Managing Partners of GHO, commented: “We are delighted to start 2025 with the completion of this transaction, our first public to private deal. GHO has a deep understanding of the CDMO sector and Avid perfectly exemplifies a company that is operating in high growth markets supporting the growing biotech sector in research and development and big pharma and large biotech for the commercialisation of cutting-edge biologics. Avid’s recent investments, both in capacity and its exemplary team, have created a strong foundation for future growth. We look forward to partnering closely with the Avid team to unlock the business’s full potential.”

Nick Green, President and CEO of Avid Bioservices, said: “Avid has always strived to evolve and adapt to meet our customers’ complex development and manufacturing needs. The completion of this transaction marks an exciting milestone as we begin our new partnership with GHO Capital and Ampersand who will provide us with access to significant expertise that will accelerate our growth. With their support, we are well-positioned to enhance our capabilities, expand our service offerings, and deliver even greater value to our customers in this next phase of our journey.”

David Anderson, General Partner of Ampersand, added: “Avid has earned its reputation as a leader in biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing through technical excellence, customised solutions, and consistent regulatory compliance. By combining our deep industry expertise with Avid’s established capabilities, we are positioned to deliver enhanced value and accelerate innovation for clients globally.”

Advisors
William Blair served as buyside financial advisers, Ropes & Gray served as legal counsel, ClearView Healthcare Partners served as commercial advisor and Alvarez & Marsal served as financial advisors to GHO and Ampersand.

About GHO Capital

Global Healthcare Opportunities, or GHO Capital Partners LLP, is a leading specialist healthcare investment advisor based in London. GHO Capital applies global capabilities and perspectives to unlock high growth healthcare opportunities, targeting Pan-European and transatlantic internationalisation to build market leading businesses of strategic global value. GHO Capital’s proven investment track record reflects the unrivalled depth of our industry expertise and network. GHO Capital partners with strong management teams to generate long-term sustainable value, improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery to enable better, faster, more accessible healthcare. For further information, please visit www.ghocapital.com.

About Avid Bioservices, Inc.

Avid Bioservices (NASDAQ: CDMO) is a dedicated CDMO focused on development and CGMP manufacturing of biologics. The Company provides a comprehensive range of process development, CGMP clinical and commercial manufacturing services for the biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries. With more than 30 years of experience producing biologics, Avid’s services include CGMP clinical and commercial drug substance manufacturing, bulk packaging, release and stability testing and regulatory submissions support. For early-stage programs the Company provides a variety of process development activities, including cell line development, upstream and downstream development and optimization, analytical methods development, testing and characterization. The scope of our services ranges from standalone process development projects to full development and manufacturing programs through commercialization. www.avidbio.com

About Ampersand Capital Partners

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 us on LinkedIn.

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