J&J expands immunotherapy portfolio with $850m Proteologix buy

This addition will bolster J&J’s antibody pipeline targeting patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and asthma. The firm will gain Proteologix’s bispecific candidates PX128 and PX130, with the transaction anticipated to close by mid-2024.

PX128 and PX130 are designed to treat skin inflammation and asthma by targeting specific pathways in the body. PX128 blocks IL-13 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), which are key factors in these diseases. PX128 is a treatment for AD and moderate to severe asthma. Preclinical candidate PX130 blocks IL-13, and also targets IL-22 to help repair the skin and prevent inflammation from things like allergens.

“With the acquisition of Proteologix, we are advancing our leadership in dermatology with the opportunity to address the significant unmet need in AD,” a spokesperson for J&J told BioProcess Insider.

“By adding these bispecific antibodies that target proven disease pathways to our portfolio, we are creating the potential to provide best-in-disease therapeutics with high-bar efficacy for patients with moderate to severe AD and asthma. We are committed to building a portfolio of differentiated and complementary bispecifics to address multiple disease-driving pathways.”

The acquisition will also provide J&J with other bispecific antibody programs with applications across a variety of other diseases, the firm said.

This marks the fourth acquisition for the US pharma giant this year. The firm's CEO Joaquin Duato called the company's merger and acquisition (M&A) strategy a “critical component” of its capital allocation strategy during its Q1 financial call.

J&J acquired Ambrx for $2 billion in January 2024 amping up its antibody drug conjugate (ADC) pipeline. In April 2024, the firm bought a preclinical cell and gene therapy (CGT) firm Serotiny expanding its interest in the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) space, followed by the acquisition of Shockwave Medical for $13.1 billion to boost its heart-disease portfolio.