Alexion Pharmaceuticals, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on serving patients and families affected by rare diseases through the discovery, development and commercialization of life-changing therapies, completed the acquisition of Syntimmune, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing differentiated drug candidates in a wide range of autoimmune diseases, from Apple Tree Partners for $1.2 bn. Under the terms of the agreement, Alexion will acquire Syntimmune for an upfront payment of $400m, with the potential for additional milestone-dependent payments of up to $800m, for a total value of up to $1.2bn. “We’re very excited to continue the development of SYNT001, which we believe holds great promise in transforming patient care across a number of rare IgG-mediated diseases. We are rapidly advancing the current development programs and look forward to beginning two pivotal programs next year, including one in warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia,” Ludwig Hantson, Alexion CEO.