Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals Announces Completion of Merger with Ikena Oncology and Concurrent Private Placement of $75 Million
ImageneBio, Inc. will continue to drive the ongoing Phase 2b clinical trial of non-depleting anti-OX40 monoclonal antibody, IMG-007, in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis
Phase 2b topline readout for IMG-007 in atopic dermatitis expected in the fourth quarter of 2026
SAN DIEGO, July 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals ('Inmagene'), a clinical stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing disease-modifying treatments for immunological/autoimmune and inflammatory ('I&I') diseases, today announced the completion of its previously announced merger with Ikena Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKNA) ('Ikena'). The combined company will operate under the name ImageneBio, Inc. ('ImageneBio') and will trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market ('Nasdaq') under the ticker symbol 'IMA' beginning at market open on July 28, 2025.
Concurrent with the closing of the merger, Inmagene and Ikena completed a $75.0 million private placement with a syndicate of existing and new investors including Deep Track Capital, Foresite Capital, RTW Investments, and existing Ikena investors such as BVF Partners L.P., Blue Owl Healthcare Opportunities, Omega Funds, and OrbiMed. The combined company will be led by Kristin Yarema, Ph.D. as its Chief Executive Officer, as announced earlier this week.
'We are pleased with the outcome of this transaction and are well-positioned to advance IMG-007 into late-stage development. OX40 inhibition is a promising approach that may have the potential to treat a broad range of immunological and inflammatory diseases where patients continue to wait for more and novel treatment options. We are excited about the emerging profile of IMG-007, which we believe will prove to be differentiated, and we look forward to executing our development plan in atopic dermatitis and potentially initiating studies in additional indications,' commented Dr. Kristin Yarema.
Additionally, in connection with the completion of the transaction and as recently approved by Ikena's shareholders, Ikena implemented a reverse split of its common stock at a ratio of 1-for-12 shares. Following the reverse stock split and based on the final exchange ratio of approximately 0.003051 shares of Ikena common stock for each Inmagene share, immediately following the closing of the merger, the legacy equity holders of Inmagene owned approximately 55.0% of the combined company's outstanding common stock and the legacy equity holders of Ikena owned approximately 45.0% of the combined company's outstanding common stock, in each case, on a fully diluted basis. Following the consummation of the concurrent private placement, the legacy equity holders of Inmagene owned approximately 43.1% of the combined company's outstanding common stock, the legacy equity holders of Ikena owned approximately 35.3% of the combined company's outstanding common stock, and the investors in the concurrent financing owned approximately 21.6% of the combined company's outstanding common stock, in each case, on a fully diluted basis. Following the reverse stock split, the closing of both the merger and concurrent financing, ImageneBio will have approximately 11.6 million shares of common stock outstanding. ImageneBio's shares are expected to begin trading on Nasdaq at market open on July 28, 2025 under the ticker symbol 'IMA' and new CUSIP number, 45175G 207.
AdvisorsGoodwin Procter LLP served as legal counsel to Ikena, and Cooley LLP served as legal counsel to Inmagene. Leerink Partners LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Ikena. Evercore served as exclusive financial advisor to Inmagene.
About ImageneBio, Inc. ImageneBio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that boldly imagines a world where patients can be free from the burden of grievous immunological/autoimmune and inflammatory ('I&I') diseases. Imagene's purpose is to globally develop new medicines with differentiated profiles that can effectively control and change the course of I&I diseases for affected patients, treat their symptoms, and improve quality of life. The company's lead asset IMG-007, a nondepleting anti-OX40 monoclonal antibody, recently completed Phase 2a clinical trials in atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata. ImageneBio is currently conducting a Phase 2b clinical trial of IMG-007 in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. For more information, please visit www.inmagenebio.com.
About IMG-007 IMG-007 is an investigational, non-depleting monoclonal antibody targeting OX40, a receptor protein primarily found on activated human T cells. When OX40 binds its ligand OX40L in human tissue, the signal generated plays a key role in the activation, expansion, and survival for many subtypes of T cells. Targeted inhibition of OX40 is thus an emerging potential therapeutic strategy to treat a wide range of I&I diseases where aberrant signaling of one or more T cell subtypes is believed to drive disease. IMG-007 has been engineered to include a silenced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity function to avoid T cell depletion or killing, to minimize safety risk. This technology also resulted in extended half-life to prolong therapeutic activity with the aim of maximizing time between doses for a patient. In Phase 2a trials in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and severe alopecia areata, IMG-007 exhibited sustained clinical and pharmacodynamic activity and was well tolerated. IMG-007 was originally discovered by HUTCHMED. Clinical development is ongoing: additional information about the ongoing Phase 2b trial in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov using identifier: NCT07037901.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the 'safe harbor' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, express or implied statements regarding the anticipated benefits of the merger; the expected trading of the combined company's stock on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol 'IMA' and on a post-reverse stock split basis; the future operations of the combined company; the nature, strategy and focus of the combined company; the development and commercial potential and potential value and benefits of IMG-007; planned or anticipated preclinical and clinical drug development activities and related timelines, including the expected timing for data and other clinical results and the potential initiation of studies in additional indications; the expected leadership of the combined company; the potential to receive and distribute any proceeds pursuant to the contingent value rights agreement of Ikena and contingent value rights agreement of Inmagene; and other statements regarding management's intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations or forecasts for the future. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date they were first issued, and were based on the then-current expectations, estimates, forecasts, and projections, as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management of each of Inmagene and Ikena. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the combined company or any future transactions or distributions described herein will be those that have been anticipated.
Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond ImageneBio's control. ImageneBio's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to: risks associated with the possible failure to realize certain anticipated benefits of the merger, including with respect to future financial and operating results; potential litigation relating to the transaction that could be instituted against the combined company or its directors; risks related to the commencement of shares to begin trading on Nasdaq; the uncertainties associated with the combined company's current and future product candidates, as well as risks associated with the clinical development and regulatory approval of product candidates, including potential delays in the completion of clinical trials and potential safety and other complications thereof; the significant net losses that the combined company has incurred since inception; the combined company's ability to initiate and complete ongoing and planned preclinical studies and clinical trials and advance its product candidates through clinical development; the timing of the availability of data from the combined company's clinical trials; the outcome of preclinical testing and clinical trials of the combined company's product candidates, including the ability of those trials to satisfy relevant governmental or regulatory requirements; pre-clinical and clinical results may not be indicative of results that may be observed in the future; the combined company's plans to research, develop and commercialize IMG-007 or its future product candidates; the clinical utility, potential benefits and market acceptance of the combined company's product candidates; the requirement for additional capital to continue to advance these product candidates, which may not be available on favorable terms or at all; the combined company's ability to attract, hire, and retain skilled executive officers and employees; the combined company's ability to protect its intellectual property and proprietary technologies; the combined company's reliance on third parties, contract manufacturers, and contract research organizations; the possibility that the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, political, business, or competitive factors; risks associated with changes in applicable laws or regulations or government resources and policies; and the possibility that contingent value rights holders of legacy Ikena and contingent value rights holders of legacy Inmagene may never receive any proceeds pursuant to the Ikena contingent value rights agreement and Inmagene contingent value rights agreement. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties. These and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in Ikena's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the 'SEC'), including the factors described in the section titled 'Risk Factors' in Ikena's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, filed with the SEC on July 24, 2025, as well as the Form S-4, as amended (File No. 333- 285881), initially filed by Ikena with the SEC on March 18, 2025, and declared effective on June 11, 2025 and other documents subsequently filed with or furnished by the combined company to the SEC.
You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date hereof or as of the dates indicated in the forward-looking statements. Except as may be required under applicable law, ImageneBio expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. This press release does not purport to summarize all of the conditions, risks and other attributes of an investment in the combined company.
ImageneBio Contact:Anna Vardanyanvardanyana@inmagenebio.com
Brian Ritchie britchie@lifesciadvisors.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
3 Side Gigs That Could Struggle in a High-Tariff Economy
The world is bracing for a changing economy as many of President Trump's new tariffs go into effect. Not only will these added costs on imports hurt Americans' wallets, they could make earning money in the gig economy harder, too. Consider This: Read Next: Trump announced on Wednesday, July 16 that he would send a letter implementing tariffs on goods from 150 smaller countries. Tariffs with larger trade partners, including Mexico, the European Union and Canada would also go into effect on August 1. Tariffs already in effect include a 25% tariff on vehicle import and auto parts, a 30% tariff on many Chinese imports, and up to 50% on steel and aluminum, according to NewsNation. These tariffs will affect prices on consumer goods, which, in turn, could hurt small businesses and gig workers. GOBankingRates spoke with Keith Spencer, career expert at Resume Now, to find out which gig workers could be hit hardest by tariffs in 2025. Rideshare and Delivery Drivers Drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft could feel the sting of tariffs on oil imports, motor vehicles and car parts, which would increase their business costs. 'Fuel, tires and parts, many of which are imported, become more expensive,' Spencer said. At the same time, demand might decrease. Faced with rising costs, people might forgo little luxuries like ordering DoorDash or having their groceries delivered via InstaCart. 'In a high-tariff economy, side gigs that rely heavily on consumer convenience tend to struggle first,' Spencer said. 'When prices rise, people naturally start cutting back on discretionary spending. That often impacts gig workers who depend on steady, high-volume demand.' Learn More: Task-Based Gigs and Home Help People who have been making money doing random tasks around the home through services like TaskRabbit may struggle to find customers. People who assemble furniture, mount TVs or perform small contracting and handyman tasks around the home will likely feel the impact of tariffs. People may choose to complete these tasks on their own rather than hiring someone. Plus, Spencer said, 'If the price of imported goods like furniture or electronics increases, people may delay or avoid those purchases. That naturally reduces demand for anyone offering services to set them up. Even when demand is steady, the cost of tools and materials often rises, which means gig workers are spending more out of pocket just to do their jobs.' Online Resellers If you've been earning money through eBay, Facebook Marketplace or affiliate sales, you may want to brace yourself for reduced sales and shrinking profit margins. 'If your side hustle involves sourcing products from overseas, such as electronics, clothing or beauty items, you may see your margins shrink,' Spencer said. 'Tariffs raise the base cost of goods, and consumers may push back on higher prices. That combination makes it harder for solo sellers to compete or stay profitable.' What To Do Instead While some gig workers may struggle, it doesn't mean the gig economy is dead. 'Not all side gigs are equally vulnerable,' Spencer said. Pointing to recent data from Resume Now, he noted that administrative support roles saw a 10% pay increase in the first quarter of 2025. Remote healthcare support has seen 70% year-over-year growth, based on further Resume Now data. 'Workers who want to future-proof their income in a high-tariff or high-cost economy might consider transitioning into roles that are both essential and automation-resistant,' Spencer advised. 'The side gigs most likely to succeed in a high-tariff economy are those that meet essential needs, help others cut costs, or can be performed remotely.' More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Warns of 'Red Rural Recession' -- 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard 7 Luxury SUVs That Will Become Affordable in 2025 6 Hybrid Vehicles To Stay Away From in Retirement This article originally appeared on 3 Side Gigs That Could Struggle in a High-Tariff Economy Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) is a favorite amongst institutional investors who own 53%
Key Insights Significantly high institutional ownership implies Nektar Therapeutics' stock price is sensitive to their trading actions A total of 17 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership Insiders have been selling lately We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free. Every investor in Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. With 53% stake, institutions possess the maximum shares in the company. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Nektar Therapeutics, beginning with the chart below. Check out our latest analysis for Nektar Therapeutics What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Nektar Therapeutics? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. Nektar Therapeutics already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Nektar Therapeutics' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. It would appear that 13% of Nektar Therapeutics shares are controlled by hedge funds. That worth noting, since hedge funds are often quite active investors, who may try to influence management. Many want to see value creation (and a higher share price) in the short term or medium term. Our data shows that Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. is the largest shareholder with 8.3% of shares outstanding. BVF Partners L.P. is the second largest shareholder owning 7.4% of common stock, and Millennium Management LLC holds about 5.4% of the company stock. A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 17 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% implying that no single shareholder has a majority. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future. Insider Ownership Of Nektar Therapeutics The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Nektar Therapeutics in their own names. It has a market capitalization of just US$397m, and the board has only US$4.0m worth of shares in their own names. Many investors in smaller companies prefer to see the board more heavily invested. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership With a 33% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Nektar Therapeutics. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks for example - Nektar Therapeutics has 4 warning signs (and 3 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about. But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Highwood Asset Management (CVE:HAM) shareholders have endured a 67% loss from investing in the stock five years ago
Generally speaking long term investing is the way to go. But that doesn't mean long term investors can avoid big losses. For example, after five long years the Highwood Asset Management Ltd. (CVE:HAM) share price is a whole 67% lower. That's an unpleasant experience for long term holders. It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Highwood Asset Management became profitable within the last five years. Most would consider that to be a good thing, so it's counter-intuitive to see the share price declining. Other metrics might give us a better handle on how its value is changing over time. Revenue is actually up 42% over the time period. A more detailed examination of the revenue and earnings may or may not explain why the share price languishes; there could be an opportunity. The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think Highwood Asset Management will earn in the future (free profit forecasts). A Different Perspective Investors in Highwood Asset Management had a tough year, with a total loss of 1.3%, against a market gain of about 22%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. However, the loss over the last year isn't as bad as the 11% per annum loss investors have suffered over the last half decade. We'd need to see some sustained improvements in the key metrics before we could muster much enthusiasm. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks, for example - Highwood Asset Management has 4 warning signs (and 1 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: most of them are flying under the radar). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Canadian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
