GammaDelta Therapeutics has been acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company for a pre-negotiated upfront payment, as well as potential development and regulatory milestones.
GammaDelta Therapeutics is a UK-headquartered company founded by Professor Adrian Hayday and Dr Oliver Nussbaumer, at King’s College London and the Francis Crick Institute and supported by Cancer Research Technology. The company is researching properties of gamma delta (γδ) T cells with the goal to improve patient outcomes and survival rates among patients with haematological malignancies and solid tumours.
Abingworth was the founding investor in GammaDelta and provided initial seed funding as part of the company’s creation in 2016. It has played a role in the growth and development of the company, initially incubating its leadership team in its London offices and providing additional strategic guidance and operational support.
In 2017, Abingworth and Takeda committed up to $100m to accelerate research and development at GammaDelta as part of a ‘build-to-buy’ agreement that provided Takeda with an exclusive option to acquire GammaDelta, which it has now exercised.
Tim Haines, Abingworth Chair and Managing Partner, and Board Member at GammaDelta Therapeutics, said: “It is extremely rewarding to see this successful outcome of a positive and productive collaboration between GammaDelta Therapeutics and Takeda. We are proud to have played a part in the creation, funding and development of GammaDelta from its earliest days and seen it work diligently alongside Takeda to translate its world-class science into a powerful discovery platform and pipeline of innovative cancer cell therapies for future development. Takeda is a strongly committed to building on leading science to create innovative and impactful medicines for cancer patients, and I am confident that GammaDelta’s technologies and pipeline will be a great addition to their efforts in immuno-oncology.”
Paolo Paoletti, MD, CEO of GammaDelta Therapeutics, said: “Abingworth has proved to be a truly supportive investor, partner and adviser to GammaDelta since the company was founded in 2016. They have clearly demonstrated the value their participation can have in identifying the potential of world-class science and creating the right supportive environment as a foundation for successful company creation and development.”
