Bayer arm Vividion Therapeutics acquires Tavros Therapeutics

The addition of Tavros greatly expands Vividion’s functional genomics expertise and capabilities, bringing proprietary methods for genomic screening that can identify new target opportunities, as well as support discovery and translational efforts towards known targets.

"Combining the Tavros platform with Vividion’s chemoproteomics expertise and capabilities will greatly enhance Vividion’s efforts to generate potential best- and first-in-class drug targets across oncology and immunology," the release stated.

Vividion and Tavros have been working together for the past two years under a strategic collaboration to discover and develop novel precision therapeutics capable of addressing cancer-causing proteins that have eluded traditional small molecule drugs.

“The addition of Tavros will expand and strengthen our chemoproteomics drug screening capabilities and open up a new target space to fuel the growing pipeline of novel therapies across oncology and immunology,” said Aleksandra Rizo, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Vividion. “We have already seen the power of combining Vividion’s platform and compound library with Tavros’s functional genomics capabilities in uncovering druggable vulnerabilities in tumor cells. We are excited to take this next step to unlock the full potential of our work together for the patients in need.”

“The acquisition of Tavros is an exciting next step as we seek to accelerate the development of previously undruggable targets to improve outcomes for patients with significant high unmet medical needs,” said Juergen Eckhardt, M.D., Head of Business Development and Licensing at Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Division. “It is also the first acquisition in the history of Bayer Pharmaceuticals for one of our ‘arms-length’ model companies, demonstrating the flexible operating model while Vividion continues to operate autonomously to drive breakthrough innovations in precision oncology and immunology.”

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to combine forces with Vividion. We have enjoyed a highly productive partnership over the past two years and have seen the clear synergy between our platforms,” said Eoin McDonnell, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Tavros. “We look forward to building on our success to date to develop novel small molecule therapeutics against elusive protein targets and maximize our ability to bring new treatment options to patients.”

Financial terms are not disclosed.