Nestlé Health's equity investment to Aimmune will help the latter to bolster its outputs on the Characterized Oral Desensitization Immunotherapy (CODIT), the biotech's method for the treatment of life-threatening food allergies along with keeping a 2-year collaboration intended to "enable the successful development and commercialization of innovative food allergy therapies."
Aimmune, based on the deal, shall maintain the company's existing and future pipeline assets established with the CODIT method, comprising of the late-stage AR101, its investigational oral biologic "desensitization therapy" for peanut allergy.
Stephen Dilly, Chief Executive Office of Aimmune, said: "We are extremely pleased that Nestlé Health Science, a global leader in food allergy management, is making this investment in Aimmune, as it reflects our shared commitment to reducing the risk and burden of food allergies affecting millions of people worldwide."
"This significant investment will put us in a strong cash position of more than $300 million and enables important additional pipeline advancement activities beyond AR101 for peanut allergy."
The CEO of Nestlé Health Science Greg Behar, who is also joining the Aimmune Board, said: "Food allergies have a huge personal impact and are a health economic burden. Nestlé Health Science is investing and innovating to change the approach to food allergy management, with integrated approaches from diagnostics (Dx) to nutrition solutions (Nx) and now biologics (Rx), where Aimmune's proprietary approach has transformational potential in the lives of patients and families."
In recent years, Nestlé Health Science has made several acquisitions. It acquired Vitaflo, which makes clinical nutritional products for people with genetic disorders; CM&D Pharma Ltd., a company that specialises in the development of products for patients with chronic conditions like kidney disease; and Prometheus Laboratories, a firm specialising in treatments for gastrointestinal diseases and cancer.
It also holds a minority stake in Vital Foods, a New Zealand-based company that develops kiwifruit-based solutions for gastrointestinal conditions.
In December 2014, Nestlé announced that it was opening 10 skin care research centres worldwide, deepening its investment in a faster-growing market for healthcare products.
The first of the research hubs, Nestlé Skin Health Investigation, Education and Longevity Development (SHIELD) centres, will open mid 2015 in New York, followed by Hong Kong and São Paulo, and later others in North America, Asia and Europe.
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