Leading global law firm, Baker McKenzie, has advised CSL on its strategic collaboration with privately held Dutch biotech company VarmX BV to support the company’s development of VMX-C001, and the entry into an agreement with VarmX shareholders granting CSL an exclusive option to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of the company. VMX-C001 is a novel treatment to help restore blood coagulation in patients requiring urgent surgery or experiencing severe bleeding while on Factor Xa direct oral anticoagulants (FXa DOACs).
Under the terms of the strategic collaboration agreement, CSL will fund VarmX’s global Phase 3 trial evaluating VMX-C001 in patients taking FXa DOACs who require urgent surgery (EquilibriX-S). CSL will also fund and support VarmX in late-stage product development, manufacturing and pre-launch commercial and medical affairs activities.
The cross-border Baker McKenzie team was led by Corporate Life Sciences Partner, Jane Hobson (London) and Healthcare & Life Sciences Partner, Julia Schieber (Zurich) with support from Corporate Senior Associate Andrew Tyau and Corporate Associate Adeola Alade (London).
The wider Baker McKenzie team included:
- Antitrust: Partner, Creighton Macy (Washington DC), Partner, Fiona Carlin (Brussels), Associate, Dukki Moon (Washington DC)
- Corporate: Partner, Rebecca Kujipers-Zimmerman, Senior Associate, Willem Jan Treuren, Associate, Lotte Dummer (Amsterdam)
- Employment: Partner, Anna van Bracht, Associate, Jonathan Steinvoort (Amsterdam)
- IP: Partner, Benjamin van Kessel (Amsterdam)
- Tax: Partner, Juliana Dantas, Senior Associate, Ilse Bosman, Associate, Nordin Buitnik (Amsterdam)
Commenting on the deal Jane Hobson, said: “We’re proud to have supported CSL on this important strategic collaboration with VarmX. This transaction brought together a cross-border team of lawyers from across our network, with deep experience in the healthcare and life sciences sector, making us ideally placed to advise on all aspects of this complex transaction. We’re pleased to have played a part in advancing a partnership that has the potential to deliver meaningful innovation in coagulation treatment.”