Ballard Spahr Represents Pyramid Biosciences in $864 Million  Licensing Deal

Ballard Spahr represented clinical-stage biotechnology company Pyramid Biosciences, Inc. in the development of a global licensing deal for two cancer therapies worth up to $846 million.

The licensing agreement with South Korea-based biotechnology company Voronoi, Inc. will bring a novel monopolar spindle1 (MPS1) called VRN-08 and second undisclosed asset into Pyramid Bioscience’s portfolio of precision oncology therapeutics. MPS1 is involved in core-of-tumor cell division. The novel inhibitor VRN-08 selectively blocks this process, ultimately leading to tumor cell death.

Founded in 2015, Waltham, Mass.-based Pyramid Biosciences is dedicated to developing a portfolio of precision therapies targeting a wide range of molecularly defined diseases. Voronoi Inc. is a biotechnology company that develops novel kinase inhibitors and target protein degraders. It regularly partners with companies in the United States on preclinical programs.

Intellectual Property Partner John A. Zurawski led the Ballard Spahr team that represented Pyramid Biosciences. Mr. Zurawski provides strategic guidance on business and legal issues, with an emphasis on intellectual property procurement and technology development in the life science and biotechnology industries. He works closely with startups and entrepreneurs, supporting these emerging businesses with 360-degree guidance throughout their commercial lifecycle—including the critical period between formation and early-stage financing. Mr. Zurawski was joined by Intellectual Property Associate Sommer S. Zimmerman, Ph.D. and Business and Transactions Associate Ignacio Celis-Aguirre.

For further information, please visit Pyramid Bioscience’s press release.

For media inquiries, please contact Will Ashenmacher at 612.371.5792.