California based BiPar develops drugs that impede the DNA repair mechanisms that tumour cells use during replication. The final price Sanofi will pay is dependant on the success of BiPar’s most advanced candidate BSI-201.
While Sanofi’s previous deals have been designed to boost its standing in the non-branded drugs sector, the firm’s move for BiPar will potentially bolster its R&D division.
In addition, as Fiske analyst Peter Cartwright suggested in a Wall Street Journal interview, the acquisition may be a lower-risk way of generating new drugs than traditional in-house development activities.
