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AbbVie to Acquire Gilgamesh's Bretisilocin Program for Up to $1.2 Billion
ByAinvest
Monday, Aug 25, 2025 1:46 pm ET1min read
AbbVie has agreed to acquire Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals' lead investigational candidate, Bretisilocin, for up to $1.2 billion. The deal includes an upfront payment plus development milestones. Bretisilocin is a serotonin receptor agonist and releaser currently in Phase 2 development for depression treatment.
AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has agreed to acquire Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals' lead investigational candidate, Bretisilocin, for up to $1.2 billion. The deal includes an upfront payment plus development milestones. Bretisilocin is a serotonin receptor agonist and releaser currently in Phase 2 development for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD).The acquisition highlights AbbVie's commitment to expanding its psychiatry pipeline. Bretisilocin, a novel, short-acting 5-HT2A receptor agonist and 5-HT releaser, has demonstrated promising results in Phase 2a trials, showing a clinically significant reduction in depressive symptom severity compared to a low-dose active comparator [1].
As part of the transaction, Gilgamesh will spin off a new entity named Gilgamesh Pharma Inc. to hold its employees and other programs, including its oral NMDA receptor antagonist blixeprodil (GM-1020), cardio-safe ibogaine analog, M1/M4 agonist program, and existing collaboration with AbbVie. This spin-off will allow Gilgamesh to focus on its broader mission of developing novel, transformative therapies for complex mental health and neurological conditions [2].
The acquisition builds upon AbbVie and Gilgamesh's 2024 collaboration and option-to-license agreement to advance the development of next-generation therapies for psychiatric disorders. This option-to-license remains in effect and will be transferred to Gilgamesh Pharma Inc. in connection with the spin-out [3].
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in the coming months. This deal underscores AbbVie's leadership in neuroscience and its commitment to advancing innovative treatments in psychiatry.
References:
[1] https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/abbvie-acquire-gilgamesh-pharmaceuticals-bretisilocin-novel-investigational-therapy
[2] https://seekingalpha.com/news/4488733-abbvie-to-buy-gilgameshs-depression-program-for-up-to-12b
[3] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbvie-to-acquire-gilgamesh-pharmaceuticals-bretisilocin-a-novel-investigational-therapy-for-major-depressive-disorder-expanding-psychiatry-pipeline-302537266.html
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