Ipsen to acquire Swiss biotech Memo Therapeutics in up to €800 million deal for BK virus drug

Ipsen announced it will purchase Memo Therapeutics, a Swiss biotech, in a transaction valued at up to about €800 million.

The agreement provides Memo investors with €200 million upfront and potential milestone payments exceeding €500 million, contingent on development, regulatory and sales targets.

The acquisition adds Memo’s late‑stage antibody candidate targeting BK polyomavirus, a virus that commonly threatens kidney‑transplant recipients and currently lacks a dedicated therapy.

The deal is slated to close in the third quarter, and Memo staff and non‑related assets will be transferred to a new entity, Memorises Bio, owned by the investors.

The move follows Ipsen’s recent announcement to buy Kartos Therapeutics for a rare blood‑cancer program, underscoring its strategy to broaden its rare‑disease portfolio.