Baxter to Buy Chatham Therapeutics

Just in time for its conference call to discuss financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2014 (April 17), Baxter International Inc. has announced plans to acquire Chatham Therapeutics LLC. Chapel Hill, N.C.-based Chatham develops gene therapy products for the treatment of hemophilia, immune disorders, cancer, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma and other chronic and acute medical conditions.

In May 2012, Baxter and Chatham entered into a collaboration to evaluate Chatham’s Biological Nano Particle (BNP) platform—an advanced recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-based gene therapy technology—as a potential treatment for hemophilia B, known as BAX 335, which is currently in a Phase I/II study. As a result of this acquisition, Baxter obtains broad access to Chatham’s gene therapy platform, including the previously partnered hemophilia B (FIX) program, a preclinical hemophilia A (FVIII) program, and the potential future application to additional hemophilia treatments.

“Chatham’s gene therapy platform technology offers the potential to redefine treatment of both hemophilia A and B,” said Ludwig Hantson, Ph.D., president of Baxter BioScience. “This technology will be highly complementary to our expanding pipeline of bleeding disorder treatments as we continue our pursuit of a bleed-free world.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Baxter will make an initial payment of $70 million to acquire all of the outstanding membership interests of Chatham. Baxter may make additional payments in the future based on specified development, regulatory and commercial milestones.

“Given Baxter’s long-standing commitment to innovative product development in hemophilia, we are confident that this transaction provides the best opportunity for the advancement of our BNP gene therapy platform technology for the benefit of hemophilia patients worldwide. The integration of Chatham’s next-generation technology and expertise, along with Baxter’s global marketing and distribution presence, is a combination we anticipate will support efficient delivery of a potential new class of therapeutics to the hemophilia market,” said Jade Samulski, co-founder of Chatham and vice president of Asklepios BioPharmaceutical Inc.

Baxter will continue the ongoing Phase I/II open-label clinical trial to assess the safety and optimal dosing schedule of BAX 335, an investigational FIX gene therapy treatment for hemophilia B. The BNP technology provides a mechanism for the patient’s own liver to begin producing FIX following a single dose of the genetically engineered treatment. The design of the vector allows for more targeted delivery of the FIX therapeutic “cargo” into the natural site of FIX synthesis. This may permit effective therapy with low quantities of the vector.

The Phase I/II clinical trial is proceeding as expected and aims to enroll up to 16 hemophilia B patients.
Following the acquisition, Chatham will maintain its licensing and development relationship with Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio) on the development of novel hemophilia therapeutic gene therapy candidates using the BMP platform. AskBio is involved with the development of its proprietary BNP gene-delivery platform technology for therapeutics targeting diseases in the heart, central nervous system, muscle, ocular and liver tissues.

Baxter International is based in Deerfield, Ill., and focuses on products to treat hemophilia, kidney disease, immune disorders and other chronic and acute medical conditions.