Venner Shipley gene therapy client, Quethera Limited, acquired by Astellas Pharmaceuticals
We are pleased to announce that the Japanese-based pharmaceutical company, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has recently acquired our client, Quethera limited, in a deal that is worth up to £85 million.
Quethera is a gene therapy company that is focused on developing novel treatments for common ophthalmic diseases, such as glaucoma. The company was co-founded in 2013 by Dr Peter Widdowson (CEO) and Professor Keith Martin (CSO, University of Cambridge).
Anton Hutter (Partner at Venner Shipley) has acted for Quethera from its foundation and has been instrumental in developing Quethera’s intellectual property portfolio, which enabled Quethera to attract such a significant investment from Astellas in such a short period of time since its foundation. As well as managing Quethera’s IP portfolio, Anton worked closely with Quethera during the due diligence process to help in the acquisition.
Peter Widdowson says of the Venner Shipley team: “I do not think I am underestimating your contribution if I say that it was one of the key factors in our success”.
This deal highlights the importance of securing comprehensive intellectual property protection to capture the true value of your business, for which Venner Shipley has a proven track record.
