Bayer Acquires Vividion Therapeutics for $1.5 Billion

Bayer AG has acquired Vividion Therapeutics, a US-based biopharmaceutical company, for an upfront sum of $1.5 billion dollars. The acquisition strengthens Bayer’s small-molecule capabilities and expands the company’s reach into new modalities. An additional $500 million could be paid if certain potential success-based milestones are reached.

Vividion Therapeutics specializes in using novel discovery technologies to discover traditionally undruggable targets. Vividion’s chemoproteomic screening platform can identify previously unknown binding pockets on well-validated protein targets by screening chemical probes against the entire human proteome to assess selectivity.

Their lead programs include multiple precision oncology and immunology targets, along with ongoing efforts on a transcription factor NRF2 antagonist for the treatment of NRF2 mutant cancers. Additionally, NRF2 activators for various inflammatory diseases (such as irritable bowel disease) are being investigated.

The acquisition is anticipated to close in the third quarter of 2021. Once the acquisition has closed, Bayer will own full rights to Vividion’s proprietary discovery platform, including the chemoproteomic screening technology, an integrated data portal, and a proprietary chemistry library. Vividion, however, will operate autonomously and on an “arm’s length basis,” according to a press release from Bayer.

“This acquisition is a cornerstone of our strategy to fuel our pipeline with breakthrough innovation,” said Stefan Oelrich, a member of the Board of Management, Bayer AG and president of Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Division, in the press release. “Vividion’s technology is the most advanced in the industry, and it has demonstrated its ability to identify drug candidates that can target challenging proteins.”

Source: Bayer