United States-based Alexion Pharmaceuticals has completed its earlier announced acquisition of Syntimmune, a US-based clinical-stage biotechnology company, it was reported yesterday.

The deal is valued at USD1.2bn.

The transaction adds to the company's increasing range with the addition of clinical-stage SYNT001, a humanised monoclonal antibody that inhibits the interaction of neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) with Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgG immune complexes with the potential to treat a number of rare IgG-mediated diseases. SYNT001 is currently being evaluated in Phase 1b/2a studies in patients with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (WAIHA) and in patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV).