Shionogi pays Apnimed $100M for joint venture to awaken sleep disorder dream

Summary: Japanese drugmaker Shionogi is paying $100 million to take full control of its sleep disorder business with Apnimed. The two companies started a joint venture in 2023 to create new treatments for obstructive sleep apnea, a frustrating condition where the upper airway collapses during sleep.

Now, Shionogi wants to speed up their research. They are testing two main drugs: SASS-001 (which uses a special receptor blocker) and SASS-002 (which uses an anti-seizure medicine called sulthiame to help with sleep). By selling its half of the business, Apnimed gets a massive cash boost. This allows Apnimed to focus all its energy on its own sleep apnea drug, AD109, which is heading to the FDA for approval very soon.

For more details, see rssapp-fiercebiotech-com at fiercebiotech.com/biotech/shionogi-pays-apnimed-100m-joint-venture-awaken-sleep-disorder-dream (opens in new tab)