Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Orchard Therapeutics Limited / GlaxoSmithKline plc

2018 · Asset Purchase · Complete

WRONG BY 28 POINTS

Deal direction as stated is factually backwards; the real 2018 transaction was GSK divesting its rare-disease gene therapy portfolio TO Orchard Therapeutics for a 19.9% equity stake + royalties/milestones — and it produced a genuine mixed outcome (one discontinued product, one now-approved blockbuster-priced therapy, eventual buyout of Orchard by Kyowa Kirin).

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The coverage arc

Apr 12, 2018 Fierce Biotech Bullish

Orchard licensed GSK's rare-disease gene therapy portfolio in a deal that took the company from two clinical-stage assets to five plus a commercial asset and…

Dec 01, 2018 Life Science Leader Bullish

The whirlwind rise of Orchard Therapeutics — six weeks after GSK announced rare-disease exit, Orchard absorbed the portfolio and raised $150M Series C, an…

Mar 19, 2024 BioPharma Dive Bullish

Orchard followed the GSK buyout with FDA approval of Lenmeldy for metachromatic leukodystrophy in March 2024 — six years post-deal, validating the portfolio…

Source summaries from our enrichment pipeline; follow links for originals.

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GSK transferred its rare disease gene therapy portfolio to Orchard Therapeutics in April 2018. In return GSK received a 19.9% equity stake plus board seat, royalties on Strimvelis (first approved ex vivo lentiviral gene therapy, for ADA-SCID), and commercial milestone payments. Portfolio includes OTL-101 (ADA-SCID), OTL-200 (MLD), OTL-300 (TDT), plus three preclinical programs from Telethon/San Raffaele. Strategically notable as one of the largest gene therapy portfolio carve-outs to date.

Did it work? Outcome assessment

Deal direction as stated is factually backwards; the real 2018 transaction was GSK divesting its rare-disease gene therapy portfolio TO Orchard Therapeutics for a 19.9% equity stake + royalties/milestones — and it produced a genuine mixed outcome (one discontinued product, one now-approved blockbuster-priced therapy, eventual buyout of Orchard by Kyowa Kirin).

Strategic verdict
Partially Achieved
Financial impact
Dilutive
Pipeline outcome
Mixed

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Orchard Therapeutics Limited / GlaxoSmithKline plc (this deal)201860
Amgen Inc. / Micromet Inc.2012$1.2B88
Servier / Shire plc (Oncology Business)2018$2.4B88
AstraZeneca PLC / Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.2020$39.0B86
Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB / Biovitrum2001$493M84
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. / Astex Pharmaceuticals2013$886M79
AbbVie Inc. / Pharmacyclics Inc.2015$21.0B79

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