Valerio Therapeutics has acquired Emglev Therapeutics, a single-domain antibody-based therapeutics company.
Takeaway Points.
Valerio Therapeutics Acquires Emglev Therapeutics.
The acquisition is structured through a sale of shares paid in cash and a contribution in kind of Emglev shares against Valour Bio shares, and as a result, shareholders of Emglev became shareholders of Valour Bio.
Why did Valerio Therapeutics acquire Emglev Therapeutics?
Valerio Therapeutics S.A., a clinical-stage biotechnology company leading the way in the development of innovative DNA Decoy therapeutics, on Monday that it has acquired Emglev Therapeutics, a spinoff of Institut Curie, one of France’s leading cancer centers.
Valour Bio has been established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Valerio Therapeutics to focus on discovering single domain antibodies (sdAbs) as drug and radio conjugates, bispecific T-cell engagers, blocking and binding sdAbs, or CAR-T sdAb drug candidates for multiple therapeutic areas, Valerio said.
Dr. Shefali Agarwal, President Chief Executive Officer of Valerio Therapeutics and CEO of Valour Bio, commented, “The acquisition of Emglev Therapeutics through our newly formed subsidiary Valour Bio reinforces our commitment to bring innovative therapeutics to patients. We are excited to advance this next-generation technology developed by the accomplished scientists at Emglev and we look forward to the novel treatments this platform may yield like sdAb drug and radio -conjugates, bispecific T-cell engagers, blocking and binding sdAb or CAR-T sdAb drugs. Furthermore, we believe that the versatility of this platform can not only target a wide array of antigens but potentially address current limitations of antibody-based therapeutics such as tissue penetration, immunogenicity and ease of manufacturing. Following this acquisition, Valour Bio will focus on optimizing the therapeutic use of single-domain antibodies, focusing on developing treatments for severe and life-threatening diseases, including but not limited to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as well as cancers.”
Christelle Masdeu, CEO of Emglev Therapeutics, said, “We are excited to enter into this joint effort with Valerio Therapeutics. As a shareholder of Valour Bio now holding the Emglev platform, we remain committed to investing our energy, expertise and passion to develop unique treatments addressing unmet medical needs. The synergy created by combining Emglev’s proprietary synthetic single-domain antibody platform with Valerio’s distinctive preclinical and clinical development expertise perfectly aligns with our mission to deliver transformative therapies that make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives.”
Other Comments
Dr. Sandrine Moutel, Emglev’s co-founder and head of the Antibody facility at Institut Curie and Dr. Franck Perez, Emglev’s co-founder and a member of its scientific board, director of the Cell Biology and Cancer Unit at Institut Curie, stated jointly:
“As founding members of Emglev, we are delighted to enter into this agreement which represents the culmination of tireless work by a dedicated team of scientists. Our team has created a platform that can generate therapeutics including CAR-Ts, T-cell engagers, binders, and bispecifics sdAbs demonstrating wide and versatile applicability to many diseases. This new chapter allows us to bring our vision of single-domain antibodies one step closer to the clinic and we are looking forward to beginning this journey with Valerio Therapeutics.”
Cécile Campagne, Director of Institut Curie’s Technology Transfer Office, stated, “We are proud of the path taken by Emglev Therapeutics, a start-up that has emerged from Institut Curie’s incubation program, which is moving forward at full speed! The acquisition of Emglev, less than two years after its creation, by Valour Bio, a subsidiary of Valerio Therapeutics which is a listed company, reflects the quality of Institut Curie’s innovations and the importance of putting them at the service of the creation of companies that will bring these cutting-edge technologies to all patients.”
According to the report, the acquisition is structured through a sale of shares paid in cash and a contribution in kind of Emglev shares against Valour Bio shares, and as a result,of Emglev became shareholders of Valour Bio.
About Valour Bio
Valour Bio is a discovery stage biotechnology company established through acquisition of Emglev’s unique proprietary single-domain antibody platform in September 2024. Valour Bio was established as a subsidiary of Valerio Therapeutics.
Through pioneering science, strategic partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to enhancing patient outcomes, we strive to deliver hope and advance healthcare for those who need it most.
About Valerio Therapeutics
Valerio Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative oncology drugs targeting tumor DNA-binding functions through unique mechanisms of action in the sought-after field of DNA Damage Response (DDR). The Company is focused on bringing early-stage first-in-class or disruptive compounds from translational research to clinical proof-of-concept, a value-creating inflection point appealing to potential partners.
About Emglev Therapeutics
Emglev Therapeutics is a biotechnology company established in 2023 as a spin-off of Institut Curie dedicated to the discovery and the development of transformative immunotherapies to address unmet medical needs in oncology.
By leveraging its unique proprietary platform, the Company unlocks the current barriers of conventional antibody discovery to provide unique targets and sdAbs selected fully in vitro and validated for therapeutic applications in any format against any target. The Company is focused on the development the next level of immunotherapies for the benefit of all the patients with high unmet needs.