GSK has agreed to acquire Canada-based private clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, 35Pharma, for $950m.

35Pharma specialises in the development of novel protein-based therapeutics.

The acquisition includes HS235, which GSK said is a "potential best-in-class" investigational medicine that has completed phase one clinical trials, with studies to start in pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

PH affects approximately 82 million people worldwide, but GSK said that treatment options remain limited and the five-year survival rate stands at around 50%.

However, the British pharmaceutical firm stated that by 2032, the global market for PH therapies is forecast to reach $18bn.

Chief scientific officer at GSK, Tony Wood, stated: "We're delighted to add HS235 to our pipeline, a potential best-in-class medicine with a differentiated profile to reduce risk of bleeding and provide potential metabolic benefits clinically relevant to PH patients.

"HS235's potential protective effects on vascular function, alongside potential benefits on fat-derived markers of metabolism and inflammation, also offer new development opportunities within our RI&I portfolio to achieve broader coverage across the metabolic, inflammatory, vascular and fibrotic drivers of multiple chronic diseases that affect the lung, liver and kidney."

Chief executive officer at 35Pharma, Ilia Tikhomirov, added: "In recent years, we witnessed a revolution in our understanding of pulmonary hypertension and how this life-threatening disease could be reversed. We are pleased to be combining our efforts with GSK, a leader in respiratory and inflammatory drivers of disease, who shares our vision of HS235's potential to transform the treatment of this debilitating condition."

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