INDIANAPOLIS: On 29th June,2023 Eli Lilly and Company has announced that it has acquired  Sigilon Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company which has an absolute portfolio in development of functional cures for patients with a wide range of acute and chronic diseases.

The companies have worked together since 2018, in developing encapsulated cell therapies, including SIG-002, related to the treatment of type 1 diabetes. These therapies are aimed to free patients from constant disease management by detecting blood glucose levels, restoring insulin production, and releasing it over the long duration.

Sigilon’s product candidates are Non-Viral Engineering Cell-Based Therapies (NVECs) that are engineered to create a variety of functionalities or therapeutic molecules that are missing or lacking in patients living with conditions such as diabetes. These engineered cells are protected from immune rejection by Sigilon’s Embedded Biomaterials Matrix (Afibromer™).By securing  Sigilon’s cell therapy expertise  the company is expanding its treatment ability for acute and chronic diseases  such as diabetes. The acquisition totals around $ USD 14.92 per share or $USD 34.6 million cash up front. The completion of the acquisition will take place in the 3rd quarter of 2023 subject to customary closing conditions, and prior to that it would give Lilly access to Sigilon's exclusive cell therapy candidate being developed to treat type 1 diabetes. Also, once the tender has been accepted, Lilly will purchase any Sigilon shares it does not currently own in a second-stage merger for the same price as it received in the tender.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, at Lilly, "This agreement represents the culmination of the important work led by our research and development team to continue advancing SIG-002 at Lilly – the preeminent leader in the treatment of diabetes," "As a person with type 1 diabetes and a treating physician, I am a passionate believer in the potential of SIG-002 and am very proud of our team's accomplishments in developing and optimizing this product candidate using our novel platform technology. With deep industry expertise, Lilly is well-positioned to apply its industry-leading clinical and technical capabilities to harness the full potential of SIG-002 for the benefit of patients and their caregivers."

"Despite significant advancement in treatment for people living with type 1 diabetes, many continue to live with a high disease burden every day," said Ruth Gimeno, Ph.D., group vice president, diabetes, obesity and cardiometabolic research at Lilly. "By combining Sigilon's talent and expertise in cell therapy with the knowledge and skills of Lilly's research and development teams, we will enhance opportunities to create innovative islet cell therapy solutions to improve the care of people living with diabetes."

According to TechSci Research, With the acquisition of Segilion Therapeutic Inc., Eli Lily Company gains diversification of its product portfolio by addition of the Segilion's pipeline of promising drugs. Also, there are several pipelines of potential breakthrough therapies lead by Segilon Therapeutics, which when incorporated with Lily's resources and infrastructure, these treatments can move more rapidly through clinical trials and regulatory processes, accelerating the drug development process. The addition of novel therapeutic options will diversify Lily's treatment options which will ultimately benefit patients, as it provides physicians with a broader range of tools to address complex medical conditions effectively. The increased market exposure is provided to Segillion therapies via association under the extensive global network of Eli Lily’s established market. Also, this increased market access signifies patients from different regions of the world could benefit from advanced treatments offered by the company.