GSK buys Sirtris for £362m

(GSK) is to acquire

for approximately £362m through a cash tender offer of £11.33 per share.

GSK believes the acquisition will significantly enhance its metabolic, neurology, immunology and inflammation research efforts by establishing a presence in the field of sirtuins, a recently-discovered class of enzymes that are thought to be involved in the ageing process.

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals has established a drug discovery capability to exploit sirtuin modulation for the treatment of human disease, an approach that GSK says has the potential to generate multiple clinically and commercially important products. Sirtris’ focus to date has been on the development of SIRT1 activators for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).

‘Modulation of this family of enzymes is a potentially transformative science that could address diseases associated with metabolism and ageing such as diabetes, muscle wasting, and neurodegeneration,’ said Moncef Slaoui, chairman of GSK R&D.

Sirtris will become part of GSK’s Drug Discovery organisation, while continuing to operate as an autonomous drug discovery unit in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Christoph Westphal, CEO and vice chair of Sirtris and the management team will continue to lead this unit.