GSK Scores Proteomics In Cellzome Acquisition

GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to acquire the shares it does not currently own in Cell­zome to access the latter’s proteomics platform for drug development. GSK currently owns just less than 20% of Cellzome through previous drug development collaborations. It will pay about $99 million for the rest of the company. Cellzome’s proteomic mass spectrometry and screening technology has been deployed in early-stage research on immune-inflammation therapies at GSK. The deal marks GSK’s third acquisition of a platform technology in the past five years. In 2007, the drug firm acquired Domantis, a developer of next-generation antibody therapies, and Praecis, a specialist in chemical synthesis and screening technologies. GSK and Cellzome shareholders plan to create a spin-off company retaining the rights to Cellzome assets that GSK does not plan to pursue.