Yasin E. Akbari

Yasin has broad experience representing clients in mergers, acquisitions, business combinations, and spin-offs, including:

• Nimbus Therapeutics in the sale of its allosteric TYK2 inhibitor program to Takeda for $4 billion upfront and up to $6 billion in total
• KBP Biosciences in its sale of its ocedurenone program to Novo Nordisk for up to $1.3 billion in total
• Blueprint Medicines in:
  • its acquisition of Lengo Therapeutics for $250 million upfront and up to $465 million in total
  • the sale of its US rights to Gavreto for up to $117.5 million in total purchase price
• Acino in its acquisition of M8 Pharmaceuticals (Moksha8), a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on licensing, marketing and distributing therapeutics in Latin America
• bluebird bio in the spin-off of its oncology programs and portfolio into 2seventy bio
• CathWorks in its acquisition option agreement with Medtronic for up to $585 million upfront plus post-closing earn-out payments
• Corvidia Therapeutics in its sale to Novo Nordisk for $725 million upfront and up to $2.1 billion in total
• Spark Therapeutics in its $4.8 billion sale to Roche
• ANA Therapeutics in its sale to NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals
• Twilio in its $3 billion acquisition of SendGrid
• Keryx Biopharmaceuticals in its $1 billion merger with Akebia Therapeutics
• Consonance-HFW Acquisition Corp., a SPAC formed by Consonance Capital Management, in its business combination with Surrozen

Yasin has special expertise in royalty-based financings, including sales of synthetic royalty interests, and product development financings. She has represented numerous companies and leading investors in this space, including:

• Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in its strategic financing collaboration with Blackstone Life Sciences, valued at $2 billion
• Blackstone Life Sciences in its €300 million strategic financing collaboration with Sanofi, to support the clinical development of a subcutaneous formulation of Sarclisa
• Abingworth, the life sciences franchise of global investment firm Carlyle, in:
  • its strategic financing collaboration with Gilead of up to $210 million, to support select clinical studies of Trodelvy in non-small cell lung cancer
  • its strategic development funding agreement with Teva for up to $150 million to offset Teva’s ICS/SABA (TEV-‘248) program costs
  • its non-dilutive financing of Opthea of up to $170 million to support the late-stage development and pre-commercialization of OPT-302
  • its non-dilutive financing of Pathalys to support the late-stage development of upacicalcet, amounting to $150 million in combination with Pathalys’ concurrent Series A financing
  • its $100 million non-dilutive financing of CymaBay Therapeutics to support the clinical development of seladelpar
• ImmuNext in its agreement with Royalty Pharma, in which Royalty Pharma acquired royalties and milestones on frexalimab for approximately $525 million in cash including estimated transaction costs
• Heidelberg Pharma in the sale of a portion of its future royalties from worldwide sales of Zircaix for up to $115 million in total purchase price
• R-Bridge Healthcare Fund, an affiliate of CBC Group, in:
  • its $60 million loan to Paratek Pharmaceuticals, backed by royalties on sales of omadacycline in greater China and a revenue interest in U.S. sales of Nuzyra
  • its $40 million loan to Trevena, backed by royalties on sales of oliceridine in greater China and a revenue interest in US sales of Olinvyk
  • its $38 million investment in royalties payable to Santhera Pharmaceuticals on sales of AGAMREE in North America and greater China
• DRI Capital in its acquisition of MacroGenics’ royalties on sales of Tzield for $100 million upfront and milestone payments of up to $100 million in total
• Royalty Pharma in numerous transactions, including:
  • its $2.025 billion strategic financing partnership with MorphoSys
  • its $827 million acquisition of Ligand Pharmaceuticals’ royalties on sales of Promacta
  • its purchase of worldwide royalties on sales of tazemetostat from Eisai and Epizyme and concurrent $100 million equity investment in Epizyme
  • its $320 million acquisition of Ultragenyx’s royalties on European sales of Crysvita
  • its $100 million purchase of a synthetic royalty on sales of Nurtec from, and equity investments of up $250 million in, Biohaven
  • its $94 million acquisition of MGH’s royalties on sales of Entyvio
  • its $220 million acquisition of a partial interest in AiCuris’ royalties on Prevymis
  • its $255 million acquisition of Agios’ royalties on sales of Idhifa
  • its $175 million purchase of a synthetic royalty on sales of Trodelvy from, and equity investment of $75 million in, Immunomedics
  • its acquisition of royalties on sales of Erleada
• Blueprint Medicines in:
  • its strategic financing collaboration with Sixth Street Partners for up to $910 million
  • its sale of royalties on Gavreto to Royalty Pharma for $175 million upfront plus up to $165 million in milestone payments
• Nektar Therapeutics in:
  • its $150 million capped sale of royalties on Movantik, Adynovate and Rebinyn to Healthcare Royalty Partners
  • its $150 million financing and co-development collaboration with SFJ Pharmaceuticals to support the clinical development of bempegaldesleukin (BEMPEG)
• AnaptysBio in its sale to DRI Capital of royalties on sales of Zejula for $35 million upfront and a $10 million milestone payment
• FibroGen in its $50 million royalty monetization financing with NovaQuest Capital Management, backed by royalties on sales of Evrenzo
• Avadel Pharmaceuticals in its $75 million revenue interest financing with RTW Investments to support the commercial launch of Lumryz
• RTW Investments in its strategic financing and licensing collaboration with Cytokinetics, valued at $200 million upfront, focused on the development of CK-274
• Cornerstone OnDemand in its $300 million strategic investment led by Silver Lake
• Chiasma in its $75 million revenue interest financing with Healthcare Royalty Partners to support the late-stage development and commercial launch of Mycapssa
• Concert Pharmaceuticals in its sale to BVF Partners and RA Capital of a partial interest in potential future royalties on sales of AVP-786
• Hansa Biopharma in its $70 million financing with NovaQuest to support the development and commercialization of imlifidase

Yasin’s recent client representations in initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, PIPE financings, and at-the-market (ATM) programs include:

• 2seventy bio in its $170 million March 2022 PIPE financing and its $125 million February 2023 public offering
• Cabaletta Bio in its $75 million initial public offering
• TCR2 Therapeutics in its $75 million initial public offering
• COMPASS Pathways in its $144 million April 2021 public offering and $150 million at-the-market program
• bluebird bio in its December 2016, December 2017, June 2017, July 2018 and May 2020 public offerings, raising over $2.5 billion
• Blueprint Medicines in its December 2016, December 2017, April 2019 and January 2020 public offerings, raising over $1 billion, and its $300 million at-the-market program
• Revolution Healthcare Acquisition Corp., a SPAC formed by General Catalyst and ARCH Venture Partners, in its March 2021 $500 million initial public offering
• Consonance-HFW Acquisition Corp. in its November 2020 $80 million initial public offering

• SonoThera in its $60.75 million Series A financing
• Corvidia Therapeutics in its $26 million Series A financing and $60 million Series B financing
• Optum Ventures’ participation in Apervita’s Series A financing 
• Moderna in its $474 million September 2016 equity financing
• Carbon Black in its $54.5 million Series F financing