FX.co ★ GSK Plc Completes Acquisition Of Aiolos Bio

GSK plc announced on Thursday that they have successfully finalized the acquisition of Aiolos Bio. Aiolos Bio is a clinical-phase biopharmaceutical company focusing on providing treatments for unmet needs in respiratory and inflammatory conditions. The acquisition cost is comprised of a $1 billion upfront payment and an additional $400 million in potential milestones.

According to the terms of the transaction, GSK is not only responsible for the upfront payment and potential milestones but also for success-based milestone payments. These also include tiered royalties that are owed to Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Aiolos Bio has an exclusive license from Hengrui to develop and market AIO-001 outside of Greater China.

Included in the acquisition is AIO-001, an anti-thymic stromal lymphopoietin monoclonal antibody. Notably set to enter phase II clinical development, it is aimed at treating adult patients with asthma. It is anticipated that AIO-001 will expand GSK's respiratory biologics portfolio. The goal is to reach the 40% of severe asthma patients who have low T2 inflammation.

Remarkably, due to its high potency and long half-life, AIO-001 has the potential to be administered semiannually. This could potentially transform the current standard-of-care.

Speaking on this matter, GSK Chief Scientific Officer Tony Wood stated, "Given the limited treatment options for asthma patients with low T2 inflammation, we hope to use our extensive respiratory knowledge to potentially offer a long-acting biologic to a broader section of the 315 million patients living with asthma."