GSK to Acquire RAPT for $2.2B ($58/share) and License ALT-B4 for Dostarlimab
GlaxoSmithKline will acquire RAPT Therapeutics for $2.2 billion ($58/share) to add ozureprubart, a phase 2b anti-IgE food allergy antibody, with mid-stage data due next year. Its Tesaro subsidiary also licensed Alteogen’s ALT-B4 hyaluronidase for subcutaneous dostarlimab, paying $20 million upfront plus up to $265 million in milestones.
1. GSK Agrees to Acquire RAPT Therapeutics for $2.2 Billion
GlaxoSmithKline plc has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire RAPT Therapeutics in a cash transaction valued at $2.2 billion. The deal grants GSK global rights, excluding mainland China, Macau, Taiwan and Hong Kong, to ozureprubart, a long-acting anti-IgE monoclonal antibody currently in Phase 2b trials targeting food allergies in children and adults. GSK will consolidate RAPT’s development team under its Respiratory & Immunology unit, marking the largest transaction since Luke Miels assumed the CEO role earlier this year.
2. Pipeline Impact and Commercial Potential
Ozureprubart is designed for once-every-three-months dosing, compared with bi-weekly injections required by current therapies, and aims to neutralize IgE, the key mediator in allergic reactions to peanut, milk, egg, cashew and walnut. Phase 2b data readout is expected in 2027, with late-stage studies to commence in the second half of that year. GSK forecasts potential launch in 2031 and projects annual peak sales exceeding $1 billion. This addition supports GSK’s ambition to grow total revenues to £40 billion by 2031 and reinforces its strategic focus on high-value immunology and respiratory franchises.