Bharat Serums & Vaccines Ltd.

The acquisition is anticipated to bolster Mankind Pharma’s position in the Indian women’s health and fertility drug market. Credit: fizkes / Shutterstock. Mankind Pharma has announced a definitive agreement for the acquisition of a 100% stake in Bharat Serums and Vaccines (BSV) from private equity investor Advent International in a Rs136.3bn ($1.6bn) deal. The move bolsters Mankind Pharma’s position in the Indian women’s health and fertility drug market. The deal will also aid Mankind Pharma in providing access to high-barrier products in critical care leveraging complex research and development (R&D) tech platforms. BSV, with more than five decades of expertise in biopharmaceuticals, has an established presence with its in-house developed recombinant and niche biologic products. The company’s branded product portfolio spans women’s health, fertility and critical care, with several leading brands in their respective therapy areas. See Also: FDA committee proposes overhaul of perioperative lung cancer trials Mankind Pharma vice-chairman and managing director Rajeev Juneja stated: “BSV’s acquisition represents a pivotal milestone in Mankind’s journey, establishing us as a market leader in the Indian women’s health and fertility segment. We believe the women’s health and fertility segment has massive opportunity along with strong growth visibility globally, led by structural tailwinds. “BSV’s established speciality R&D tech platforms with a complex portfolio across women’s health, fertility, critical care and [the] immunoglobulin segment perfectly aligns Mankind Pharma’s strategic vision to expand its footprint in high entry barrier portfolio. We are also delighted to welcome BSV’s 2,500+ members to our Mankind family.” The acquisition includes BSV’s comprehensive portfolio in women’s health, covering the reproductive lifecycle from fertility to post-pregnancy. Its significant portfolio in the fertility segment will aid in scaling in both Indian and international markets, especially with the increasing penetration of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments. Mankind Pharma CEO and whole-time director Sheetal Arora stated: “Mankind’s strategic acquisition of BSV with branded speciality pharma portfolio across India and emerging markets presents immense growth potential and will add to the existing growth velocity of Mankind.”

Boehringer Ingelheim announced today the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a permanent J-code (J1747) for SPEVIGO (spesolimab-sbzo) Injection, indicated for the treatment of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) flares in adults. According to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS), the J-code for SPEVIGO becomes effective as of today, April 1, 2023. "People living with GPP can experience unpredictable flares and are in need of timely access to novel treatment options," said Claudia Beqaj, Executive Director, Dermatology, Sales and Marketing, Boehringer Ingelheim. "We are pleased to receive the permanent J-code for SPEVIGO that aims to enhance and expand market access for those affected by this rare and potentially life-threatening neutrophilic skin disease." J-codes are permanent, product-specific reimbursement codes used by commercial insurers and government payers to facilitate and streamline billing for Medicare Part B drugs, which cannot be self-administered. The permanent J-code for SPEVIGO, J1747 (Injection, spesolimab-sbzo, 1 mg), has been published online in the CMS HCPCS Application Summaries and Coding Recommendations, Fourth Quarter, 2022 HCPCS Coding Cycle, here. What is SPEVIGO? SPEVIGO is a prescription medicine used to treat generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) flares in adults. It is not known if SPEVIGO is safe and effective in children. Allergic reactions and infusion-related reactions. Serious allergic reactions may happen during or after your infusion of SPEVIGO. If you have a serious allergic reaction, your healthcare provider will stop treatment with SPEVIGO. If you have an infusion-related reaction, your healthcare provider will stop your SPEVIGO infusion and treat your symptoms and may restart SPEVIGO at a slower infusion rate. Tell your healthcare provider or get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms during or after your infusion of SPEVIGO: About generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) GPP is a rare, heterogenous and potentially life-threatening neutrophilic skin disease, which is clinically distinct from plaque psoriasis. GPP is caused by neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) accumulating in the skin, resulting in painful, sterile pustules all over the body. The clinical course varies, with some patients having a relapsing disease with recurrent flares, and others having a persistent disease with intermittent flares. While the severity of GPP flares can vary, if left untreated they can be life-threatening due to complications such as sepsis and multisystem organ failure. This chronic, systemic disease has a substantial quality of life impact for patients and increased healthcare burden. GPP has a varied prevalence across different geographical regions and more women are affected than men. GPP flares can lead to hospitalization with serious complications, including heart failure, renal failure and sepsis, and the unpredictability and severity of these flares greatly affect a person's quality of life. Boehringer Ingelheim Immunology: Pioneering Science, Inspired By Patients Living with fibrotic and inflammatory diseases greatly impacts patients' lives emotionally and physically. These patients are our guides, partners, and inspiration as we redefine treatment paradigms. As a family-owned company, we can plan long-term. Our goal is to discover and develop first-of-their-kind therapies. With a deep understanding of molecular pathways, we are pioneering scientific breakthroughs that target, repair, and prevent many fibrotic and inflammatory diseases. By building on long-term external collaborations, we strive to bring treatment breakthroughs to patients in the shortest time. We won't rest until we can give people the chance to live the lives they want. Boehringer Ingelheim Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that improve the lives of humans and animals. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term perspective. Around 52,000 employees serve more than 130 markets in the three business areas, Human Pharma, Animal Health, and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com. SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim

Jim Mullen is lending his years of biotech CEO experience — from Biogen, Patheon and Editas — to the private equity firm Advent International. Advent managing partner John Maldonado said Mullen will help his team expand their reach to pharmaceutical and pharma services companies “across contract manufacturing, commercialization, and research.” “Jim’s work at Editas and Thermo Fisher have put him at the forefront of the cell and gene therapy revolution,” Carmine Petrone, managing director at Advent, added in a statement. “We are excited to partner with Jim as we continue to look for transformative companies that are enabling the development, manufacture and commercialization of these advanced therapies.” As an operating partner , Mullen joins more than 125 industry executives as independent advisors to Advent and its portfolio companies. Mullen was perhaps best known as the former CEO of Biogen, who presided over its merger with Idec in 2003 and the growth of its multiple sclerosis franchise — but was ultimately pushed out by activist investors. After leaving Biogen, he took up the CEO role at contract development and manufacturing organization Patheon, which was sold to Thermo Fisher for $7.2 billion in 2017. He also briefly served as CEO of gene editing pioneer Editas, where he remains chairman . In May, Advent closed its 10th fund with $25 billion raised. Other than healthcare, the firm also invests in business & financial services; industrial; retail, consumer & leisure; and technology. It counts close to 50 healthcare investments since 1990, betting on a range of companies around the world. Its pharma portfolio features CRO Syneos Health, generic makers Zentiva (Czech Republic) and Grupo Farmaceutico Somar (Mexico), India’s Bharat Serums and Vaccines, and Chinese capsule developer GS Capsule. In recent years, though, Advent has made attempts to play a more direct role in drug development, including an ill-fated $8 billion deal to take rare disease player Sobi private and rumored talks with GSK about its consumer health spinout.