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Santaris Pharma, the privately-held Danish RNAi company, could be on the way to an IPO, a source close to the situation said. Santaris focuses on oncology and metabolic disorders.
According to an industry source, pharmaceutical companies looking at acquisition targets to provide technology to prolong the biological lifetime of antagonists could potentially approach Santaris. The source pointed at companies such as Roche, Johnson & Johnson and Merck, although this company recently has made an acquisition in this therapeutic field via its purchase of siRNA Therapeutics.
According to the source close to the situation, Santaris needs funds in order to efficiently pursue the possibilities provided by its proprietary LNA (locked nucleid acid) technology. The company would also aim at deploying its RNAi platform in a broader range of applications, the source said.
Santaris already has a significant contract with Enzon Pharmaceuticals on cancer applications, the source said. So far, the company earned some EUR 14m from the US company successfully achieving milestones, the source said. The deal could amount to around EUR 150m, the source concluded.
Santaris Pharma employs 60 people.
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