Syntonix, Biovitrum deal

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (SSE:SOBI, Stockholm, Sweden) exercised an option under a 2006 hemophilia deal with Biogen Idec Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB, Weston, Mass.) to add a preclinical hemophilia A recombinant Factor VIII Fc- von Willebrand factor (vWF) fusion construct based on XTEN technology from Amunix Operating Inc. (Mountain View, Calif.). Swedish Orphan made an undisclosed payment to Biogen Idec to include the program in the partners' deal. In July, Swedish Orphan received a data package from Biogen Idec regarding the program and had 120 days to review the package and determine whether it will exercise an option to the program (see BioCentury, July 14).

The original deal between Swedish Orphan and Biogen Idec was between Biovitrum AB and Syntonix Pharmaceuticals Inc. Biogen Idec acquired Syntonix in 2007, and Biovitrum acquired Swedish Orphan International AB in 2009 and changed its name (see BioCentury, Jan. 30, 2006 & Feb. 22, 2010). ...