Johnson & Johnson Buys Momenta in $6.5B Pharma Acquisition Deal

Johnson & Johnson recently announced that it signed a $6.5 billion pharma acquisition deal with Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc., a company that discovers novel therapies for immune-mediated diseases.

The company stated that this acquisition provides an opportunity for the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson to broaden its expertise in immune-mediated diseases and drive further growth through expansion into autoantibody-driven disease.

The transaction will give Johnson & Johnson full global rights to nipocalimab (M281), a clinically validated, potentially best-in-class anti-FcRn antibody.

Nipocalimab gives Johnson & Johnson the chance to reach substantially more patients by providing a treatment option for individuals with unmet medical needs, such as maternal-fetal disorders, neuro-inflammatory disorders, rheumatology, dermatology, and autoimmune hematology, the company stated.

“This acquisition broadens Janssen’s leadership in autoimmune diseases and provides us with a major catalyst for sustained growth. Autoantibody-driven diseases are often serious, and patients are underserved by current treatment options," Jennifer Taubert, executive vice president and worldwide chairman of pharmaceuticals at Johnson & Johnson, said in the announcement.  

“We’re excited by the opportunity to further advance patient care by combining Johnson & Johnson’s world-class R&D, commercial and supply chain capabilities with Momenta’s talented people, pipeline and deep expertise in this important area.”

FDA recently granted Nipocalimab a rare pediatric disease designation.

Momenta’s expertise in neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) mechanisms is vital for nipocalimab because it accelerates the development of a medicine designed to target a number of autoantibody-driven conditions across several of Janssen’s established therapeutic areas, a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson said.

Janssen expects nipocalimab to help the company reach its goals of achieving above-market growth over the mid and long term.

Additionally, the company will have the potential to introduce launches, many as first-in-class indications with potential for peak year sales of over $1 billion.

“Nipocalimab, and the rest of Momenta’s pipeline, built over many years by outstanding scientists who have turned important insights into actionable biology, expands and complements our portfolio by giving us clinical-stage and discovery-stage compounds in autoantibody biological pathways,” said Mathai Mammen, MD, PhD, global head of janssen research & development, Johnson & Johnson.

“Combining Momenta’s discoveries with our 20-year heritage in immunology, global scope, and scientific and medical expertise, we see a real opportunity to create an entire ‘pipeline in a pathway. We are excited about the significant potential to expand on Momenta’s excellent progress in rare diseases, and to increase our impact on patients both within and beyond our current focus areas.”

In autoantibody-driven diseases, the body’s antibodies attack or damage its own proteins, cells and tissues, often with devastating consequences, Johnson & Johnson noted.

An estimated 2.5 percent of the population, or 195 million people worldwide, suffer from some form of autoantibody-driven disease, many of which are orphan and rare diseases.

Last week, Sanofi acquired biopharmaceutical company, Principia Biopharma Inc, to strengthen its research and development efforts for autoimmune and allergic diseases.

Principia Biopharma focuses on developing treatments for immune-mediated diseases. Under the agreement, Sanofi will acquire all shares of the company, which represents an aggregate equity value of nearly $3.68 billion. 

The pharma acquisition deal will have a total enterprise value of approximately $3.36 billion, Sanofi said.

As part of the acquisition, Sanofi will leverage Principia’s Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors to accelerate and build a portfolio of next generation treatments for autoimmune diseases.

BTK is present in the signaling pathways of key innate and adaptive cell types of the immune system. Blocking these signaling processes can help stop inflammation and tissue destruction related to autoimmune diseases.

“By combining with Sanofi, we will bring significant resources to expand and accelerate the potential benefits of these therapies. The benefit of developing several BTK inhibitors will allow us to target specific organ systems for optimal patient benefit,”  said Martin Babler, president and CEO at Principia Biopharma.