Dompe to acquire 100% control of Anabasis

Italian biopharmaceutical firm Dompe has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Anabasis Srl, a privately held Italian research and development biopharmaceutical company, focused on ocular diseases, in which it bought a 49% stake in January 2011. Financial terms of the accord include an immediate upfront and subsequent milestone payments related to the development and commercialization of nerve growth factor (NGF) in pathological conditions. Further details were not disclosed.


Anabasis, founded in 1999 by a group of Italian scientists who were among the first to study the use of NGF – research which won Rita Levi-Montalcini the Nobel Prize – has advanced an ophthalmic formulation of NGF to preclinical and clinical stages for various diseases affecting both the anterior part of the eye, such as neurotrophic keratitis (NK) and dry eye, as well as the posterior part of the eye such as retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma.

In January 2011, Anabasis signed a licensing and co-development agreement with Dompe, which along with its 49% stake in Anabasis gained patent rights for the use of NGF to treat neurotrophic keratitis (NK). By the end of 2011 Dompe - thanks to its considerable experience in the manufacturing of recombinant proteins - has successfully achieved the development of a stable process suitable for industrial production of recombinant human NGF (rhNGF) at its biotechnological plant based in L’Aquila, Italy, which operates in compliance with GMPs and is authorized to produce recombinant proteins for human use.

Need for new approaches to ophthalmic pathologies

“Anabasis is a unique opportunity for Dompe as it supports our wider project aimed at the expansion of the group at international level,” commented Sergio Dompe, president of the company, “while the awareness of ophthalmic pathologies are steadily increasing, there is a real need for new approaches to treating them. This investment represents our responsible contribution to the patients as it could offer significant treatment advantages over currently available therapeutic solutions.”

“The acquisition of Anabasis will lay the foundation stone of a new ophthalmology franchise and will create new strategic positions for Dompe in the very promising and dynamically growing ophthalmic area driven by unmet medical needs and aging population,” stated Eugenio Aringhieri, chief executive of Dompe, adding: “Anabasis is an excellent addition to our growing pipeline and furthers our strategy of accessing high-growth segments of the international healthcare market, reducing our risk profile while focusing on patient needs.”