AbbVie Acquires Celsius Therapeutics

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Jun 27, 2024, 09:26 ET

Celsius' CEL383 is a potential first-in-class anti-Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 1 (TREM1) antibody for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) announced today the acquisition of Celsius Therapeutics, Inc. ("Celsius"), a privately held biotechnology company pioneering new therapies for patients with inflammatory disease. Celsius' lead investigational asset is CEL383, a potential first-in-class anti-TREM1 antibody that has completed a Phase 1 clinical study for the treatment of IBD.

TREM1 has been identified as a key disease driver gene in IBD, where it is expressed on inflammatory monocytes and neutrophils. In these cell types and others, TREM1 is upstream of multiple known inflammatory pathways and acts as an amplifier of inflammation.

"Given the potential relevance of TREM1 as a key driver of inflammation and pathology in IBD and other conditions, we are eager to advance the development of CEL383 with a goal of helping more patients with IBD achieve remission," said Kori Wallace, M.D., Ph.D., vice president, global head of immunology clinical development, AbbVie.

"AbbVie shares our excitement about the potential of TREM1 inhibition for patients with inflammatory disease," said Tariq Kassum, M.D., chief executive officer, Celsius. "I'd like to thank the Celsius team for their relentless efforts in the discovery of CEL383. We look forward to the further development of this promising program, which we hope will offer a new approach to the treatment of IBD."

Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie has acquired all outstanding Celsius equity for $250 million in cash, subject to certain customary adjustments.

About CEL383
CEL383 is an investigational antibody directed towards TREM1. In preclinical assays, CEL383 has been shown to inhibit TREM1 signaling, reducing the levels of multiple inflammatory mediators of high clinical relevance in inflammatory conditions. A phase 1 first-in-human, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose study evaluating the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CEL383 in healthy volunteers has concluded (NCT05901883).

Advisors
AbbVie's legal advisor was Covington & Burling LLP. Celsius' financial advisor was Centerview Partners LLC and Goodwin Procter LLP served as legal advisor.

About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.

About Celsius Therapeutics
Celsius Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel medicines in inflammatory disease. The company's lead therapeutic candidate is an anti-TREM1 antibody for the treatment of IBD. Celsius is based in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, please visit https://celsiustx.com, or follow us on LinkedIn or X (formerly Twitter).

Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements in this news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions and uses of future or conditional verbs, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, challenges to intellectual property, competition from other products, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, and changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of AbbVie's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Forward looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward looking statements, and AbbVie undertakes no obligation, and specifically declines, to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

SOURCE AbbVie