MedImmune to acquire Amplimmune

The MedImmune LLC biologics unit of AstraZeneca plc (LSE:AZN; NYSE:AZN) will acquire cancer immunotherapy company Amplimmune Inc. (Rockville, Md.) for $225 million up front and up to $275 million in milestones. MedImmune will gain Amplimmune's pipeline of immunomodulators, including Amplimmune's most advanced unpartnered compound, AMP-514. The mAb against programmed cell death 1 ( PDCD1; PD-1; CD279) is in preclinical development for cancer. The deal is expected to close this quarter.

Amplimmune's most advanced partnered compound is AMP-224, which is in Phase I testing for cancer. The fusion protein that contains the extracellular domain of PD-1 ligand 2 ( B7-DC; PDCDILG2) and the Fc-portion of IgG is partnered with GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE:GSK; NYSE:GSK) (see BioCentury, Aug. 9, 2010). ...