ABBV’s acquisition of PCYC raised eyebrows, both because of the valuation placed on PCYC, and because ABBV has a promising lead compound (ABT-199) being developed for the same B-cell malignancies treated by PCYC’s main product (Imbruvica)
Much debate centers on which is better – Imbruvica or ABT-199. We think this misses the point; the drugs are far more likely to be used together than in lieu of one another
Imbruvica is a leap forward in the treatment of B-cell malignancies, but complete responses are rare, and patients have shown resistance. Malignant B-cells adapt to Imbruvica by altering the shape of Imbruvica’s target, altering the shape of the protein cleaved by Imbruvica’s target, and/or relying on alternative mechanisms to carry out the functions of the pathway blocked by Imbruvica. Imbruvica needs a partner
At least six teams of investigators have shown that Imbruvica and ABT-199 in combination are synergistic, and/or that ABT-199 remains effective even after cells develop resistance to Imbruvica. At least two teams of investigators have analyzed multiple potential partners for Imbruvica, and both have identified ABT-199 as the best choice
The evidence that Imbruvica and ABT-199 are synergistic sheds important light on the ABBV/PCYC transaction. Treatment of B-cell malignancies is plainly going to be multi-modal. Owning just one of the promising components of the multi-modal treatment doesn’t guarantee commercial success – witness the jockeying among antivirals for inclusion in the standard of care for HIV and HCV, and the reality that highly effective components failed to be included in the prevailing standard(s)
Conversely, owning the first two ‘dominant’ components of multi-modal B-cell therapy makes it far more likely that ABBV plays a controlling role in developing and commercializing the multi-modal standard of care for B-cell malignancies
For our full research notes, please visit our published research site