Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
Bayer acquired the remaining ~59.2% of BlueRock Therapeutics it did not already own for $240M upfront plus up to $360M in milestones (~$600M total); the deal closed August 13, 2019. BlueRock's iPSC-derived cell-therapy platform engineers replacement cells for disease. As of 2026 the platform has materially advanced: lead asset bemdaneprocel (BRT-DA01), iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons for Parkinson's disease, began the registrational Phase III exPDite-2 trial (~102 patients, randomized double-blind sham-surgery-controlled) with the first patient treated in September 2025, and holds FDA Fast Track (2021), RMAT (2024) and Japan SAKIGAKE (Dec 2025) designations. A second asset, OpCT-001, an iPSC-derived photoreceptor cell therapy for primary photoreceptor disease (retinitis pigmentosa), entered a Phase 1/2a trial (first patient July 2025) and received FDA Orphan Drug Designation (Jan 2026), extending the platform from neurology into ophthalmology.
Assessment window: 5yr post-close.