Bayer to acquire UK-based biotech KaNDy Therapeutics Ltd

Bayer, a global leader in women’s healthcare, and KaNDy Therapeutics Ltd, a UK clinical-stage biotech company, announced that Bayer will acquire KaNDy Therapeutics Ltd. to expand its drug development pipeline in women’s healthcare. KaNDy Therapeutics Ltd. recently completed the Phase IIb with NT-814, a first in class, non-hormonal, once-daily, oral neurokinin-1,3 receptor antagonist, publishing positive data for the treatment of frequent symptoms of the menopause, hot flashes and night sweats (vasomotor symptoms). The start of Phase III clinical trial is expected for 2021. Once approved, the compound could generate peak sales potential of more than Euro 1 billion globally.

Up to 75% of women going through menopausal transition experience menopausal vasomotor symptoms. These symptoms can impact both their work and private life and are debilitating for several years for those affected and result in significant incremental healthcare and economic costs.

Under the terms of the agreement Bayer will pay an upfront consideration of USD 425 million, potential milestone payments of up to USD 450 million until launch followed by potential additional triple digit million sales milestone payments. Closing is subject to customary conditions, in particular anti-trust approval, and is expected by September 2020.

“Bayer is focusing on innovative options to address the unmet medical needs of women worldwide”, said Stefan Oelrich, Member of the Board of Management of Bayer and President Pharmaceuticals. “With this acquisition Bayer will broaden its women’s healthcare pipeline by adding a potential novel non-hormonal oral treatment option for women during menopause.”

“Bayer has been our preferred partner due to its leading position in the area of women’s healthcare”, said Dr. Mary Kerr, Co-Founder and CEO of KaNDy Therapeutics Ltd. “We believe that under the ownership of Bayer, this potential groundbreaking medicine can be optimally developed to become an important non-hormonal treatment option for women suffering debilitating symptoms of the menopause.”

The acquisition of KaNDy Therapeutics Ltd. is another important milestone in augmenting Bayer’s own women’s healthcare portfolio through strategic collaborations and agreements. Earlier in 2020, Bayer announced the expansion of its partnership with Evotec with a new five-year, multi-target collaboration to develop multiple clinical candidates for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most frequent endocrine disorder in women. Bayer’s exclusive license agreement with Daré Bioscience for the US market, signed in January 2020, is focused on its investigational, hormone-free, monthly vaginal contraceptive currently in clinical development for the prevention of pregnancy.

About Women’s Healthcare at Bayer
Bayer is a recognized leader in the area of women’s healthcare, with a long-standing commitment to delivering science for a better life by advancing a portfolio of innovative treatments. Bayer offers a wide range of effective short- and long-acting birth control methods as well as therapies for menopause management and gynecological diseases. Today, Bayer’s research efforts focus on finding new treatment options for gynecological diseases with a high medical need and includes several investigational compounds in various stages of pre-clinical and clinical development. Together, these projects reflect the company’s approach to research, which prioritizes targets and pathways with the potential to alter the way that gynecological diseases are treated. Additionally, Bayer intends to provide 100 million women in low-and-middle income countries by 2030 with access to family planning by funding multi-stakeholder aid programs and by ensuring the supply of affordable modern contraceptives. This is part of the comprehensive sustainability measures and commitments from 2020 onwards and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.3 billion euros.

About KaNDy Therapeutics
KaNDy Therapeutics Ltd. is a UK-based private clinical-stage biotech that was founded in 2017 as a spin-off from NeRRe Therapeutics Ltd. It is led by an experienced management team and backed by internationally recognised life sciences investors: Advent Life Sciences, Fountain Healthcare Partners, Forbion Capital Partners, OrbiMed and Longitude Capital. KaNDy Therapeutics is based at the state-of-the-art Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, a leading location for companies to develop and commercialise cutting edge therapeutics.