Radioligand target deal with Novartis expands Artios’ runway and remit

Synthetic lethality company Artios is the latest beneficiary of Novartis’ push toward radiotherapeutics, with the pharma paying $20 million up front for rights to three targets to be discovered by the biotech for use in radioligand therapies.

Dealmaking around both synthetic lethality and radiotherapy has been on the rise. At least four larger biopharmas entered deals with synthetic lethality companies including Artios Pharma Ltd. during 2020, while Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) has been among the pharmas that have championed radioligands. The latter modality involves conjugation of a cancer-targeting ligand to a radioactive atom...