GSK to Acquire Antibody Developer Domantis for $454 Million

London (Dec. 8)-GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK, www.gsk.com) agreed to acquire Domantis Ltd. (Cambridge, UK, www.domantis.com), a developer of antibodies, for £230 million ($454 million) in cash.

Domantis will become part of GSK's Biopharmaceutical Center of Excellence for Drug Discovery (CEDD). Domantis will continue to operate from research and development laboratories in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Domantis specializes in domain antibodies (dAbs), therapeutic molecules that have the benefits of both small molecules and conventional antibodies. Like small molecules, dAbs are small in size and highly stable, which allow for a choice of therapeutic formats, delivery formulations, and manufacturing options. Similar to human antibodies, dAbs are designed to have specificity and high affinity for the biological target of interest. dAbs may be administered in inhaled, topical, and potentially oral formulations as well as by injection and infusion.

Ian Tomlinson, cofounder of Domantis, will continue to manage the company's Cambridge laboratories and will serve as a GSK executive in the Biopharmaceutical CEDD.