Deals & Cases







SOBI acquires NovImmune's Emapalumab business
On 18 July 2019, Light Chain Bioscience AG purchased all the shares in NovImmune SA ("NovImmune"). On the same date, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (publ), a Swedish listed company ("SOBI"), acquired NovImmune's Emapalumab business by means of a spin-off transaction for a price of CHF 515 million. The corresponding transaction agreements were entered into on 12 June 2019.
NovImmune is a Swiss biotech company focused on the discovery and development of antibody-based drugs for the targeted treatment of inflammatory diseases, immune-related disorders, and cancer. Emapalumab is a late-stage orphan drug candidate for the treatment of primary Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), an orphan disease for which no drugs have been approved, representing a high unmet need.
Lenz & Staehelin advised NovImmune in this transaction. The team was led by Emilie Jacot-Guillarmod (Corporate and M&A) and included Nathalie Adank (Real Estate), Sevan Antreasyan (Intellectual Property), Didier Nsanzineza (Tax), Sara Rousselle-Ruffieux (Employment, Pensions and Immigration) and Federico Trabaldo Togna (Corporate and M&A). The partners in charge were Guy Vermeil and Jacques Iffland (both Corporate and M&A) and Floran Ponce (Tax).