Ferring builds in reproductive health via $1.38bn Gameto buy

Switzerland's Ferring Pharma has reached an agreement to buy US women's health start-up Gameto for up to $1.38 billion, growing its position in fertility treatments.

The total value of the deal depends on the achievement of "development, regulatory, and commercial milestones," according to the two companies, which said it will bring together "Gameto's reproductive-health innovation with Ferring's longstanding expertise and global presence in reproductive medicine."

The main focus of Ferring's interest is Gameto's Fertilo in vitro maturation platform, which uses stem cells to make ovarian support cells (OSCs) in the lab that generate an "organoid" of the female reproductive system, sometimes referred to as an "ovary in a dish."

Traditional IVF requires about two weeks of hormone injections, but using Fertilo – which is currently in phase 3 testing – that can be reduced to a few days, according to Austin, Texas-based Gameto. It is also developing a lab model (Deovo) that can be used to test the effects of drugs on the female reproductive system, as well as a cell therapy, called Ameo, that is designed to treat unwanted effects of menopause.

Privately held Ferring, meanwhile, markets drugs like Menopur (menotropins for injection), Rekovelle (follitropin delta), and Bravelle (urofollitropin) to stimulate egg production and maturation in IVF procedures, along with other medicines used in maternal health and pregnancy support.

It recorded revenues of more than €2.5 billion last year, a rise of 10% that was mainly driven by Menopur, as well as bladder cancer therapy Adstiladrin (nadofaragene firedenovec).

"Ferring has been committed to helping people build families for more than 50 years," said Jean‑Frédéric Paulsen, the Swiss group's chief executive.

"By combining Gameto's scientific innovation with our expertise and global reproductive-medicine platform, we see an opportunity to advance new approaches in fertility care and reach more patients worldwide," he added.

Meanwhile, Gameto's CEO and co-founder, Dr Dina Turner, said that the takeover is a "defining moment" for the company and provides "an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate innovation, expand access, and bring more modern fertility treatment options to women and families around the world."