Via Abingworth takeout, Carlyle gains biotech skill set 

Carlyle’s acquisition of venture firm Abingworth will give the multinational investment firm an entry into in a biotech asset class it had mostly avoided, and will allow the VC team to make early-stage and risk-sharing co-development deals at a larger scale with a deeper-pocketed investor behind it.

The deal echoes the 2018 takeout of Clarus by Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX), positioning the two investment firms as competitors in the late-stage co-development arena. Abingworth and Clarus had worked together to fund development of late-stage products via partnerships with biotechs and the creation of risk-sharing entities SFJ Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Avillion LLP...