DJS Antibodies

History

2022: AbbVie bought DJS Antibodies for $255m

On October 20, 2022, the American biopharmacology company AbbVie announced the conclusion of an agreement to acquire DJS Antibodies (DJS), based in the UK. The transaction amount amounted to $255 million.

DJS specializes in the development of antibody-based drugs targeting difficult-to-treat disease-causing proteins, in particular G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Disruption of the GPCR provokes the development of many different diseases. At the same time, the receptors themselves are a target for a large number of currently produced drugs.

AbbVie bought the developer of drugs for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis DJS Antibodies

Once the merger is complete, AbbVie will be able to take advantage of the DJS research findings from the leading DJS-002 program. We are talking about a potentially first-in-class antibody for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (ILF) and other fibrotic diseases. ILF is a specific form of chronic progressive interstitial pneumonia, accompanied by a high mortality rate due to fibrous scarring in the lungs. Currently, the properties of the new antibody are being studied in preclinical studies.

In addition, as part of the deal, AbbVie will gain access to the DJS HEPTAD platform, which provides new opportunities in terms of detecting antibodies with specific functions. In turn, DJS will be able to leverage AbbVie's rich expertise in drug development to continue the development of therapeutic antibodies and new biological tools against targets such as GPCR.

Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie will retain all current DJS employees and the biotech center of the acquired company in Oxford. It is noted that DJS receives support from investors such as Oxford Science Enterprises and Johnson & Johnson Innovation Ltd., as well as LifeArc, Sedgwick Yard and Amgen Ventures.^[1]

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