Abivax‘s newest funding spherical permits the biotech to maneuver towards a U.S. launch of its bowel illness drug with out backing from Massive Pharma, CEO Marc de Garidel informed CNBC after months of intense takeover hypothesis.
“Because of the money we raised… We’re able to have money till the tip of 2029, and … construct up the suitable infrastructure to launch within the U.S.,” de Garidel informed CNBC’s “Squawk Field Europe” on Friday.
The French clinical-stage biotech, price almost 11 billion euros ($12.2 billion), raised $920 million final week after underwriters exercised in full their choice to buy extra American depository shares.
Proceeds will enable it to finance operations by way of 2029, together with the commercialization of its lead drug, and solely asset, obefazimod, within the U.S. and additional medical R&D bills for a similar medication.
“The very best protection for us is definitely the offense,” de Garidel mentioned Friday in response to a query about whether or not Abivax would take into account a takeover provide at this stage.
It got here after a unstable month for the corporate, the place a late-stage trial for obefazimod for ulcerative colitis sufferers spooked buyers with reported most cancers instances within the examine cohort, sending shares crashing as analysts questioned its business viability.
A component two dataset from the identical trial confirmed malignancies had been consistent with regular charges to be anticipated for the affected person demographic, main shares to get well losses.
Abivax share over the previous 12 months.
De Garidel on Friday emphasised the medication’s “unmatched efficacy for the drug in a hard-to-treat inhabitants” and repeated the corporate’s stance that it’s secure.
“When you will have ulcerative colitis, sadly, your immune system is depleted, and you might be extra vulnerable to a sure kind of most cancers,” he mentioned.
Abivax will meet with the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration on the finish of July to debate its New Drug Software for obefazimod, a so-called pre-NDA assembly, he added.
Takeover hypothesis
Abivax has been below intense scrutiny by buyers as a prime takeover goal after it reported robust efficacy in July 2025 for obefazimod over 8 weeks. The next “upkeep” trial assessed the impact of the drug over 44 weeks.
Its Paris-listed shares have, nevertheless, soared greater than 1,600% over the previous 12 months, doubtlessly complicating worth negotiations with aspiring patrons.
De Garidel informed CNBC in March that he was assured it may safe a greater deal following the upkeep knowledge.
Analysts have modelled that an acquisition could also be priced at as a lot as $23 billion and mentioned Abivax may very well be a strategic acquisition for any giant pharmaceutical firm with an immunology and irritation franchise.
