Anokion located in Lausanne and Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ:CELG) partnered to use Anokion's biotech immune tolerizing platform to develop therapies for autoimmune diseases. Anokion received a $45 m upfront payment and is eligible to receive a future payment of an additional $10 m based on certain preclinical development achievements. As part of the strategic collaboration agreement, Celgene obtained an equity interest in Anokion and the exclusive right to acquire Anokion at pre-specified option exercise points. Anokion’s most advanced approach to immune tolerance harnesses the body’s natural tolerance mechanism of apoptotic or aging cells. It involves engineering antigens, relevant to a broad range of autoimmune disorders, to bind glycophorin A, a surface protein unique to erythrocytes or red blood cells.
VISCHER (together with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP) have been advising Anokion in this transaction. The team at VISCHER was led by Dr. Matthias Staehelin (Partner, Corporate) and Nadia Tarolli (Partner, Tax) with Vincent Reardon and Luzius Zumstein (both Associates, Corporate).