On October 23, 2023, Quince Therapeutics, Inc., a late-stage biotechnology company developing an innovative drug delivery technology that leverages a patient’s own biology to deliver rare disease therapeutics, announced the successful completion of its acquisition of EryDel S.p.A., a privately-held, late-stage biotech company. Quince’s newly acquired Phase 3 lead asset, EryDex, targets a rare neurodegenerative disease, Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T). Currently, there are no approved treatments for A-T and the market represents a $1+ billion estimated peak sales opportunity globally. EryDex utilizes a highly differentiated and proprietary technology platform for autologous intracellular drug encapsulation (AIDE), which is designed to optimize the biodistribution of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP; a pro-drug) by using an A-T patient’s own red blood cells to deliver the sustained therapeutic over a once monthly treatment period.

The acquisition of EryDel was completed with no upfront cash payment, using a stock-for-stock exchange and potential downstream milestone cash payments. EryDel stockholders now own 15.2 percent of Quince’s outstanding shares and may be issued up to an additional 725,036 shares of the company’s common stock (equal to 16.6 percent of Quince’s currently outstanding shares – inclusive of the shares issued) upon the first anniversary of the transaction closing. EryDel stockholders also will be entitled to up to $485 million in potential total downstream cash payments, including up to $5 million in development milestones, $25 million at NDA acceptance, $60 million in approval milestones, and $395 million on market and sales milestones, with no royalties paid to EryDel stockholders. The transaction includes the assumption of EryDel’s $13 million (€10 million in principal) European Investment Bank (EIB) loan with scheduled payments beginning in the second half of 2026.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Quince on patent matters related to the transaction. The Wilson Sonsini team includes Gregory Mitchell, Ellie Han, Ben Brahm, Trevor Lyons, and Mike Hostetler.

For more information, please see the press release.