GSK ups respiratory pipeline with $1.4bn Aiolos Bio buy

GSK adds long-acting antibody A1O-001 to its respiratory biologics portfolio through the acquisition of Aiolos Bio.

The deal will see GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) pay Aiolos – a clinical-stage firm founded in 2023 focused on  patients with inflammatory and respiratory conditions – $1 billion upfront. Additionally, there is the potential for the firm to receive up to $400 million depending on milestones.

Through the acquisition, GSK gains access to Aiolos’ AIO-001, a long-acting anti-thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) monoclonal antibody (mAb). The drug candidate is about to enter Phase II clinical development for the treatment of individuals with asthma, with the possibility for additional indications including nasal polyps and chronic rhinosinusitis.

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“We were very pleased to announce the agreement to acquire Aiolos Bio, providing us access to a potentially best-in-class, long-acting anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody ready to enter Phase II for asthma,” said Emma Walmsley, CEO of GSK, at the JP Morgan (JPM) Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.

In addition to reaching a bigger population of asthma patients, GSK said AIO-001 has the potential to “redefine” the standard-of-care as it can be administered every six months.

“Let me just sort of remind you if you’re in the Respiratory Meet the Management event, what we said was we were looking for a low T2 option. Obviously, we cover the high T2 population extremely effectively, and that’s about 60% of severe asthmatics,” Tony Wood, chief scientific Officer at GSK told delegates.

“The low T2 option gives us access to 40%. We know from the work that we’ve done […] that both patients and healthcare providers tell us they want longer-acting agents, and they want earlier treatment as well. So, I very much see this as being something that is a relatively straightforward fit with our portfolio.”

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals (Hengrui) licensed AIO-001 to Aiolos outside of Greater China. Therefore, GSK will be responsible for success-based milestone payments and royalties owed to Hengrui.

GSK’s interest in respiratory diseases is longstanding. In May 2023, GSK’s Arexvy became the first US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vaccine to treat respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD).