Bayer acquires KaNDy to expand its female healthcare business

Bayer and KaNDy Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, jointly announced that Bayer will acquire the latter to expand its drug development pipeline in the field of women's healthcare.

KaNDy Therapeutics recently completed a phase IIb clinical study of NT-814, and announced positive data for its treatment of menopausal-related symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats (vasomotor symptoms). The phase III clinical trial of NT-814 is expected to start in 2021 . According to the terms of the agreement, Bayer will prepay US$425 million, potential milestone payments of up to US$450 million and subsequent potential additional three-digit sales milestone payments. The acquisition will be completed as soon as September 2020.

Up to 75% of menopausal women will experience menopausal vasomotor symptoms, these symptoms may affect their work and private life, and make the affected people weak for several years. NT-814 is a pioneering, non-hormonal, once-daily oral neurokinin-1,3 receptor (NK1R/NK3R) antagonist, which regulates a group of estrogen-sensitive neurons in the hypothalamus of the brain (KNDy neurons) to solve the vasomotor symptoms. Postmenopausal women become active due to lack of estrogen, which destroys the body temperature control mechanism, leading to vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. Once approved, the global peak sales of NT-814 may exceed 1 billion euros.

The acquisition of KaNDy Therapeutics is another important milestone for Bayer to expand its female healthcare business through strategic cooperation and agreements. In early 2020, Bayer announced the expansion of its partnership with Evotec to launch a new 5-year collaboration to develop multiple clinical drug candidates for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disorder in women; 2020 In January 2008, Bayer and Daré Bioscience signed an exclusive license agreement for the US market, which is mainly for the research, non-hormonal, monthly vaginal contraceptives currently in the clinical development research stage.