Anthos will develop and commercialise treatments for high-risk cardiovascular patients. Credit: ReaperDZ via Pixabay.

Novartis and private investment platform Blackstone Life Sciences have launched a new biopharmaceutical company Anthos Therapeutics focused on targeted therapies for cardiovascular diseases.

Based in the US, the new company will develop and commercialise genetically and pharmacologically validated treatments for high-risk cardiovascular patients.

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Blackstone Life Sciences has contributed $250m for Anthos Therapeutics and will be responsible for the product development.

Blackstone Life Sciences head and Anthos Therapeutics chairman Nick Galakatos said: “We are excited to collaborate with Novartis to create Anthos, with the goal of delivering important therapies for the high-risk cardiovascular patients who need them.”

Meanwhile, Novartis has licensed MAA868 to Anthos Therapeutics. MAA868 is a monoclonal antibody that targets Factor XI and Xia associated with the intrinsic coagulation pathway.

Being developed as a next-generation anti-thrombotic therapy, the compound is expected to help prevent cardiovascular diseases with minimal or no bleeding risk within a new long-acting treatment model.

“The need for new medicines to treat cardiovascular diseases is clear, and this agreement is part of our strategy to work to advance medicines that have the potential to have a positive impact for patients.”

Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research president Jay Bradner said: “The need for new medicines to treat cardiovascular diseases is clear, and this agreement is part of our strategy to work with innovators outside our walls to advance medicines that have the potential to have a positive impact for patients.

“Blackstone Life Sciences has the necessary experience and has assembled a first-class team at Anthos to drive the further development of MAA868.”

The Swiss pharmaceutical giant will have a minority stake in the new company.

A report from the American Heart Association revealed that thrombotic disorders are responsible for approximately 500,000 deaths annually.

Thrombotic diseases could affect arteries or veins, leading to ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, peripheral artery disease, venous thromboembolism and other debilitating orphan conditions.

Recently, Novartis exercised its option to licence the right to develop and commercialise a targeted cardiovascular (CV) therapy, TQJ230, from Akcea Therapeutics’ affiliate Ionis Pharmaceuticals.