Novartis and Blackstone Launch Anthos Therapeutics With $250 Million

Blackstone Life Sciences, a private investment firm, along with Novartis, launched Anthos Therapeutics with a $250 million investment. Anthos will be headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. As part of the deal, Anthos licensed MAA868 from Novartis. MAA868 is an antibody directed at Factor XI and XIa, both components of the intrinsic coagulation pathway. The compound has the potential to prevent a range of cardiovascular disorders involved in blood clotting, and which the companies believe will have significant advantages over current care paradigms. Blackstone Life Sciences provided the $250 million. Anthos’ board of directors will include Paris Panayiotopoulos, currently managing director of Blackstone and former chief executive officer of Ariad Pharmaceuticals; Ari Brettman, Blackstone Principal; and Jonathan Freeman, Blackstone Senior Advisor, and Anthos co-founder. Freeman is also Anthos’ chief operating officer.
Shaun Coughlin, Global Head of Cardiovascular and Metabolism for Novartis joins the Anthos board as an Observer. Craig Basson, Head of Cardiovascular and Metabolism Translational Medicine will serve on Anthos’ Scientific Advisory Board. John Glasspool will act as the Anthos chief executive officer. Glasspool was a former leader of Novartis’ cardiovascular franchise, serving as Global Head of Novartis’ Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases from 2004 to 2008 and more recently acting as Head of Corporate Strategy and a member of the Executive Team at Baxalta when it was acquired by the Shire.