By Kelly Cloonan
United Therapeutics acquired privately-held biotechnology company Thymmune Therapeutics for $140 million in cash.
The deal could include potential earn-out payments to former Thymmune equityholders of up to $160 million based on the achievement of certain clinical and regulatory milestones by the end of 2031, United Therapeutics said Thursday.
Thymmune is working to develop regenerative thymic cell therapies to treat post-transplant organ tolerance, immunodeficiencies and autoimmune diseases. Its lead candidate, THY-100, is in preclinical development for congenital athymia, a rare condition in which infants are born without a functional thymus. The thymus is a critical organ for the development and proper function of key parts of the immune system.
The deal is part of United Therapeutics' goals to expand the supply of transplantable organs and adds to its growing strength in immunomodulatory therapeutics, the company said.
"By restoring or modulating T-cell receptor diversity, Thymmune's technology could make fundamental contributions to human health care and potentially resolve the root causes of dozens of life-threatening diseases," United Therapeutics Chief Executive Martine Rothblatt said.
Write to Kelly Cloonan at kelly.cloonan@wsj.com