Petr Kellner’s PPF Group acquired a 19.2% stake in Autolus Therapeutics. Autolus is UK based biopharmaceutical company. PPF purchased the shares on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
PPF Group said Autolus is in advanced stages of developing T-cell therapies, which target cancer cells for both hematological cancers and solid tumors.
The stake in Autolus is PPF’s second-largest biotech investment. PPF Group already owns biotech company SOTIO.
In addition to the biotech company SOTIO, which is part of the PPF Group, the stake in Autolus is PPF’s second-largest biotech investment. PPF acquired the shares through the US stock market NASDAQ.
Under the auspices of SOTIO, PPF is building a broad product portfolio thanks to its research and development.
“Our investment in Autolus was motivated by very promising results as part of the clinical trial of their CAR-T technology to date,” said Ladislav Bartoníček, PPF shareholder in charge of biotech. The investment confirms PPF and SOTIO’s long-term intention to build a strong portfolio of its cancer products and invest in biotechnology companies with promising innovative therapies.
PPF Groups largest shareholder is Petr Kellner. The company invests in a variety of industries ranging from banking and financial services to telecommunications, real estate, engineering, biotech, and insurance. It operates in Europe, Asia, and North America. It owns assets worth more than EUR 45 billion (CZK 1.16 trillion). SOTIO is an international biotechnology company through which PPF builds a portfolio in biotechnology based on its research and development, cooperation with partners or acquisitions.
PPF also owns French biotech firm Cytune Pharma SAS and Accord Research. PPF has also made significant investments in the Swiss biotech companies Cellestia Biotech and NBE-Therapeutics.
