Harbour BioMed Acquires Common Stock in Spruce Biosciences, Deepening Strategic Collaboration
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Information
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SHANGHAI, Jan. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142), a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel antibody
Original sourceAI Summary
Harbour BioMed's acquisition of a 3.8% stake in Spruce Biosciences reinforces their strategic partnership, enhancing the development of SPR202 targeting congenital adrenal hyperplasia. This milestone is expected to improve collaboration effectiveness and could accelerate clinical advancements, potentially bolstering SPRB's market position and investor sentiment.
Sentiment Rationale
The strategic acquisition by Harbour BioMed strengthens Spruce's pipeline, likely boosting investor confidence. Historically, similar collaborations have led to increased stock performance as drug development advances.
Trading Thesis
Given the strategic partnership, consider buying SPRB for short-term gains following positive momentum.
Market-Moving
- Harbour BioMed's acquisition could signal increased investor confidence in SPRB.
- Advancements in SPR202 may lead to potential revenue growth for Spruce.
- Positive clinical results from SPR202 could significantly boost SPRB's stock price.
- Growing interest from Harbour BioMed may attract other investors.
Key Facts
- Harbour BioMed acquired a 3.8% stake in Spruce Biosciences.
- The acquisition furthers strategic collaboration beyond mere licensing.
- The partnership aims to advance SPR202, a monoclonal antibody.
- The collaboration focuses on treating conditions like congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
- Strategic partnership could enhance Spruce's development capabilities.
Companies Mentioned
- Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142): Increasing shareholding indicates strategic commitment to Spruce.
Corporate Developments
This falls under 'Corporate Developments' as it marks a significant shift in the relationship between Harbour BioMed and Spruce. The collaborative efforts could lead to accelerated drug development, impacting both companies' future prospects positively.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SHANGHAI, Jan. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142), a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel antibody therapeutics in immunology and oncology, today announced that through its wholly-owned subsidiary, it has exercised its warrant to acquire the common stock in Spruce Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPRB) ("Spruce"). Following this transaction, Harbour BioMed holds approximately 3.8% of the total outstanding shares of Spruce and approximately 3.1% of the fully diluted shares of Spruce[1].
The warrant was originally issued to Harbour BioMed's subsidiary and other minority shareholders of HBM Alpha Therapeutics ("HBMAT"), an innovative biotechnology company incubated by Harbour BioMed, in connection with a license and collaboration agreement by and between HBMAT and Spruce. The collaboration aims to advance the development of SPR202 (formerly known as HBM9013 by Harbour BioMed), a potent and selective anti-corticotropin-releasing hormone monoclonal antibody for various disorders, including congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Dr. Jingsong Wang, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Harbour BioMed, stated: "This warrant exercise marks a significant milestone in our relationship with Spruce Biosciences. It moves us beyond a traditional licensor-licensee relationship to a truly aligned strategic partnership, reinforcing our shared commitment to accelerating the development of transformative therapies for patients worldwide."
[1] Calculated based on the total outstanding shares and fully diluted shares of Spruce as of September 30, 2025. |
About Harbour BioMed
Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142) is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of novel antibody therapeutics in immunology and oncology. The company is building a robust and differentiated pipeline through internal R&D capabilities, strategic global collaborations in co-discovery and co-development, and selective acquisitions.
Harbour BioMed's proprietary antibody technology platform, Harbour Mice®, generates fully human monoclonal antibodies in both the conventional two heavy and two light chain (H2L2) format and the heavy chain-only (HCAb) format. Building upon HCAb antibodies, the HCAb-based immune cell engagers (HBICE®) bispecific antibody technology enables tumor-killing effects that traditional combination therapies cannot achieve. Additionally, the HCAb-based bispecific immune cell antagonist (HBICATM) technology empowers the development of innovative biologics for immunological and inflammatory diseases. By integrating Harbour Mice®, HBICE®, and HBICATM with a single B-cell cloning platform, Harbour BioMed has built a highly efficient and distinctive antibody discovery engine for developing next-generation therapeutic antibodies. For more information, please visit www.harbourbiomed.com.
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SOURCE Harbour BioMed