AbbVie again expands its IBD drug pipeline with $250 million drug product acquisition

AbbVie has IBD drugs now on the market, as well as additional drug candidates in clinical development. The pharmaceutical giant is diversifying its IBD prospects with another candidate through the acquisition of Celsius Therapeutics, a clinical-stage startup whose lead program offers a different approach to treating inflammation.

Under terms of the deal announced late last week, AbbVie acquired all of the outstanding shares of privately held Celsius for $250 million in cash.

Celsius’ lead program, CEL383, is an antibody designed to block TREM1, a protein that plays a role in enhancing inflammation. The companies say the protein, expressed on some immune cells, sits upstream of other known inflammatory pathways and acts as an inflammation amplifier. In preclinical studies conducted in Cambridge, MA-Celsius, the drug was reported to inhibit TREM1 signaling. A phase 1 trial for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) began last year. The AbbVie acquisition announcement noted that the Phase 1 clinical trial had been completed, but did not disclose any details about its results.

“Given the potential importance of TREM1 as a key driver of inflammation and pathology in IBD and other conditions, we are eager to accelerate the development of CEL383 to help more patients with IBD achieve remission,” AbbVie vice president, global head of Clinical Development, Immunology, Kori Wallace, said in a prepared statement.

CEL383 was discovered and developed using Celsius’ platform technology, which enables single-cell analysis of clinical samples. The cellular analysis enables the startup to better understand the cellular interactions that cause disease. Celsius was founded by venture capital firm Third Rock Ventures, which launched in 2018 with $65 million in funding. The company last raised money in 2022, extending its Series A round and closing Series B funding for a total of $83 million. In addition to immunology, the startup has also applied its technology to cancer drug research.

Approved indications for AbbVie’s blockbuster antibody drug Humira include ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, two types of IBD. The company’s Rinvoq drug, a small molecule that blocks inflammation-causing proteins called Janus kinases, also has approval in both indications. AbbVie’s antibody drug Skyrizi recently gained regulatory approval for ulcerative colitis following FDA approval in 2022 for Crohn’s disease.

AbbVie’s acquisition of Celsius follows two other recent business deals aimed at strengthening its IBD drug pipeline. Two weeks ago, AbbVie licensed its FutureGen antibody in preclinical development for IBD. This drug candidate, FG-M701, targets a target called TL1A. This is a competing target as Merck, Sanofi and Roche have business deals for clinical-stage TL1A-targeting assets.

AbbVie is taking another approach to IBD with a drug candidate from Landos Biopharma, whose small molecule targets the NOD-like receptor X1, or NLRX1, which modulates inflammatory proteins in gastrointestinal disorders. AbbVie acquired Landos earlier this year for $137 million upfront.

Photo: Smith Collection/Gado, Getty Images