Sidley is representing Incyte (NASDAQ: INCY) in its agreement to acquire Villaris Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel antibody therapeutics. The company’s lead asset, an antibody called auremolimab, is expected to enter clinical development in 2023. The acquisition will complement Incyte’s existing inflammation and autoimmunity portfolio with potential applications for auremolimab beyond dermatology. Villaris was founded in 2019 by Medicxi and John Harris, M.D., Ph.D. Medicxi is a healthcare-focused investment firm with the mission to create and invest in companies across the full drug development continuum.
The Sidley team is being led by Pran Jha, David Meehan (M&A and Private Equity), and Lauren Grau (Technology and Life Sciences Transactions), and includes Elizabeth Buescher (M&A and Private Equity); Zach Johnston (Technology and Life Sciences Transactions); Suresh Advani and Jennifer Waclawik (Tax); Natalie Chan and Emily Wajert (Labor and Employment); Mary Niehaus and Christian Pilhofer (Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation); Laura Collins, Beth Chen, Patrick Harrison, and Karen Kazmerzak (Antitrust/Competition); Jen Fernandez, Sven De Knop, Alessandra Moroni, and Nina Spieler (trainee) (Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy); Stephen McInerney and Sasha Hondagneu-Messner (Privacy and Cybersecurity); Diane McEnroe and Jaclyn Fonteyne (Food, Drug and Medical Device Regulatory); Elizabeth Hardcastle, Donielle McCutcheon, and Sama Kahook (Healthcare); and Kristin Graham Koehler (White Collar: Government Litigation and Investigations).
