Global market opportunity! Buyers in urgent need of CNS-related products/platforms.

On July 9, 2025, Novartis struck another deal, acquiring Sironax’s “Brain Delivery Module” platform for up to $175 million (including upfront and short-term payments). The platform is a differentiated blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration technology that enhances the brain delivery efficiency of various therapeutic modalities (e.g., large molecules, small molecules, etc.), potentially providing critical support for the development of drugs targeting central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Why the Acquisition? What Was the Strategic Rationale?

A statement from Novartis’s Global Head of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research, in the press release sheds light on the motivation behind this business development (BD) deal:“How to efficiently deliver drugs across the BBB remains one of the most critical challenges in drug development.”

This is indeed the case. Over the past decade, pharmaceutical companies—both large and small—have faced setbacks in the CNS field, primarily due to challenges such as BBB delivery difficulties and unclear disease mechanisms.

However, given the large market size, limited approved therapies, and urgent clinical needs, multinational corporations (MNCs) have maintained strong enthusiasm for this field. In fact, their interest has only intensified amid the current BD transaction boom. Industry statistics show that MNCs have already invested nearly $70 billion in this space to date.

Recently, the BD team at DrugTimes received a request from European and American pharmaceutical companies and venture capital (VC) firms. The buyers indicated that they are actively seeking projects in CNS diseases such as AD, PD, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), and chronic pain. The detailed requirements are as follows:

1. CNS Products: Demonstrated strong brain penetrability (BBB).
2. CNS Technology Platforms: Brain shuttle , Neuro-bispecific antibodies, BBB delivery, or related PROTAC/molecular glue platforms.

Additionally, the buyers emphasized a preference for projects with strong targeting of TYK2 or NLRP3. For novel targets, they prefer candidates at the IND stage with preliminary data.

Don’t Miss This Opportunity!

If your company is interested in this project, please contact the DrugTimes BD team immediately and specify the project code (Project Code: DTD-021)!

Contact us:
For any questions, please contact DrugTimes BD Team at BD@drugtimes.cn, please include Project ID in the subject. Many thanks!