Aeglea Biotherapeutics has completed the acquisition of Spyre Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatments. Aeglea also secured approximately $210 million in a private placement from institutional investors. Spyre is advancing a pipeline of antibody therapeutics for IBD, with clinical studies projected to begin in 2024.
Aeglea Biotherapeutics Inc. (“Aeglea”) (NASDAQ: AGLE), today announced it has completed the acquisition of Spyre Therapeutics, Inc. (“Spyre”), a privately held biotechnology company advancing a robust pipeline of antibody therapeutics with the potential to transform the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Concurrent with the acquisition of Spyre, Aeglea entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of Series A non-voting convertible preferred stock (the “Series A preferred stock”) in a private placement to a group of institutional accredited investors led by Fairmount Funds Management LLC (“Fairmount Funds”), with participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company, Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, Commodore Capital, Deep Track Capital, Perceptive Advisors, RTW Investments, Cormorant Asset Management, Driehaus Capital Management, Ecor1 Capital, RA Capital Management, Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company), and Wellington Management Company LLP, as well as additional undisclosed institutional investors. The private placement is expected to result in gross proceeds to Aeglea of approximately $210 million before deducting placement agent and other offering expenses. The proceeds from the private placement are intended to be used to advance Spyre’s portfolio of potentially best-in-class IBD products through multiple data milestones and are expected to fund operations into 2026.
Spyre is the second spinout of Paragon Therapeutics. Spyre was founded to transform the treatment of IBD by pursuing potentially best-in-class long-acting antibodies, rational therapeutic combinations, and precision immunology approaches. Integrating these strategic pillars with deep expertise in antibody engineering and biologics development, Spyre aims to maximize the efficacy, safety, and convenience of treatments for IBD.
IBD causes chronic inflammation of the digestive tract and can lead to diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, fatigue and weight loss. Symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. There are approximately 1.7 million IBD patients in the United States. and biologics are the preferred modality for moderate-to-severe patients due to a superior benefit-risk profile. The IBD global market, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is estimated to surpass $29 billion by 2028, representing a significant and growing opportunity.
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Spyre is advancing a robust portfolio that harnesses both proven and novel mechanisms of action for addressing IBD. The company’s two parallel lead programs—SPY001 and SPY002—target a4b7 and TL1A, respectively, and build upon the validation of these targets by existing commercial- and clinical-stage antibody therapeutics. Spyre’s lead programs are projected to enter clinical studies in 2024, with clinical data for SPY001 expected by YE2024.
“The concurrent launch of Spyre and acquisition by Aeglea will provide immediate access to the public capital markets and the opportunity to accelerate research and development efforts for our broad pipeline of biologics,” said Cameron Turtle, DPhil, newly appointed Chief Operating Officer of Aeglea. “A continued unmet need exists for novel therapeutics that improve both efficacy and convenience for patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. We appreciate the support of this outstanding investor syndicate and their confidence in Spyre’s approach to develop transformative treatments for this chronic condition.”
“Our management and our Board of Directors thoroughly explored numerous strategic alternatives and believe this acquisition of Spyre provides a phenomenal outcome for our stockholders,” said Jonathan D. Alspaugh, President and Chief Financial Officer, Aeglea. “Spyre’s approach to therapeutics development aims to transform the current treatment experience for individuals living with IBD. The company is making rapid progress advancing their two parallel lead programs into the clinic, and we believe these programs will enable us to capture a sizable share of the growing IBD market.”
Management and Organization
The current Aeglea management team, including Jonathan D. Alspaugh, President & Chief Financial Offer, and Cortney Caudill, Chief Product Officer, will be expanded with the appointment of Cameron Turtle, DPhil, to Chief Operating Officer; Janet Gunzner-Toste, Ph.D., to SVP, Operations; Andy Spencer, Ph.D., to SVP, Preclinical R&D; and, Justin LaFountaine, Ph.D., to VP, Corporate Development.
In conjunction with the transaction, Aeglea Board Members will include:
- Russell Cox, Chairman of the Board, CEO of Epirium Bio (current)
- Hunter Smith, CFO of Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (current)
- Alison Lawton, Former President and CEO of Kaleido Biosciences (current)
- Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch, President and CEO of Vigil Neuroscience (current)
- Peter Harwin, Managing Member, Fairmount Funds
- Tomas Kiselak, Managing Member, Fairmount Funds
- Michael Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of Apogee Therapeutics
Source: BioSpace