MedImmune acquires Definiens to strengthen immuno-oncology capabilities

MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s global biologics research and development arm, has entered into an agreement to acquire Definiens, a privately-held company that has pioneered a world-leading imaging and data analysis technology, known as Tissue Phenomics, which dramatically improves the identification of biomarkers in tumour tissue.
 
Definiens’ proprietary Cognition Network Technology was developed by Professor Gerd Binnig, the 1986 Nobel Laureate in Physics, and unlocks information from cancer tissue samples by measuring the identity, locations and, most importantly, the relationships between the many and varied components of the complex tumour microenvironment.
 
Under the terms of the agreement, MedImmune will acquire 100 percent of Definiens’ shares for an initial consideration of $150 million and make additional predetermined milestone payments. Definiens will continue to operate its business with third-party customers.
 
The acquisition will strengthen MedImmune’s focus on the discovery of novel predictive biomarkers in immuno-oncology. It is believed that using biomarkers to select patients for clinical trials could potentially shorten clinical timelines and increase response rates. As a result, the technology will serve as an important tool in the advancement of the most promising combination therapies across AstraZeneca’s combined small molecule and biologics pipeline, around 80 percent of which currently has a personalised healthcare approach.