Halda Therapeutics Acquired by J&J: What's the Deal?
J&J Buys Halda: Another $3 Billion Down the Pharma Rabbit Hole?
Okay, Johnson & Johnson is dropping another three BILLION on Halda Therapeutics? For prostate cancer drugs? Color me skeptical. I mean, seriously, how many "revolutionary" cancer treatments have we seen come and go? It's like the damn lottery – everyone says they're gonna win, but most end up with a pile of losing tickets.
"Novel precision cancer cell-killing approach," they say. Oh, really? Because that's not the same song and dance we've heard for the last, what, fifty years? I'm so tired of the PR-speak. It's insulting.
This whole "PROTAC" thing – dragging cancer proteins to the cellular garbage disposal – sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. And Yale chemist Craig Crews? Good for him, I guess. But forgive me if I don't exactly jump for joy over another academic getting rich off of taxpayer-funded research.
The ROI Shell Game
Halda launched in 2019? And now they're getting bought out for over three billion? Six years? Talk about a quick flip. I wonder how much of that money is actually going to, you know, curing cancer versus lining the pockets of investors. Let's be real.
And J&J wants $50 billion in cancer sales by 2030? That's... ambitious. Or maybe just cynical. Is this really about helping people, or hitting some arbitrary revenue target? I'm gonna go with the latter. J&J, Aiming for $50B in Cancer Sales, Buys Halda for $3B in Cash
They call Halda's platform "RIPTAC." Sounds like a rejected Mortal Kombat character. And it’s supposed to kill tumor cells while sparing the good ones. Selective killing? Please. If it were that easy, we wouldn't have cancer.
Fast Track to Nowhere?
HLD-0915, Halda's lead candidate, got "fast track designation" from the FDA? Great. So did a million other drugs that ended up being either ineffective or having horrific side effects. Or both! Fast track just means they get to skip a few steps on the way to fleecing the public.
Five out of five patients showed "partial responses" in Phase I/II trials? That's... not exactly earth-shattering. Where's the long-term data? Where's the proof that this thing actually works? Oh, right, it's still "ongoing." Offcourse it is.
You know what else is "ongoing"? The endless stream of pharmaceutical mergers and acquisitions, all promising to "revolutionize" healthcare while simultaneously jacking up prices.
Speaking of acquisitions, J&J bought Intra-Cellular Therapies for almost fifteen billion earlier this year. Neuropsychiatric stuff. So, they're tackling both cancer and mental illness? That's... convenient. Diversifying their portfolio of potential profit centers, I guess. But what if I don't want my health turned into a "portfolio"?
Then again, maybe I'm just being a grumpy old cynic. Maybe this Halda thing really is the real deal. Maybe this time is different. Nah. Probably not.
So, What's the Real Story Here?
It's the same old story: Big Pharma buys up promising startups, hypes up their experimental drugs, and makes a fortune – regardless of whether those drugs actually work. I'm not saying Halda's research is worthless, but I am saying I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, I'm keeping my wallet firmly closed.