Blackstone commits $300 million to Uniquity Bio launch

Blackstone (NYSE: BX) has announced the launch of the Blackstone Life Sciences portfolio company Uniquity Bio, a clinical-stage drug developer on immunology and inflammation.

Uniquity Bio is emerging from stealth with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acceptance of its Phase II investigational new drug (IND) application for solrikitug, a monoclonal antibody (MAb) targeting TSLP that was in-licensed from Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK), and up to $300 million in capital from Blackstone to advance the asset in multiple indications.

The company aims to deliver best-in-class efficacy with solrikitug across several critical respiratory and gastrointestinal (GI) indications with significant unmet needs. In the next month, Uniquity Bio will launch Phase II clinical trials in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, which according to the World Health Organization is the third leading cause of death worldwide - and asthma, which the WHO estimates affects more than 260 million people across the globe.