Benzinga | Jul 27, 2021 11:13AM EDT

AC Immune Secures Funding From BioNTech Investors, Buys Parkinson's Vaccine Candidate

* AC Immune SA (NASDAQ:ACIU) has gained a multi-million investment from the principal backers of BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) while acquiring a possible Parkinson's disease vaccine.

* It announced a $25 million private share placement with a group of investors led by Athos Service GmbH. Some of the placement was also picked up by First Capital Partner GmbH.

* Another lead BioNTech investor, MIG Fonds, is becoming an AC Immune shareholder via its prior ownership in Affiris AG.

* AC Immune is buying a portfolio of therapeutics including Affiris PD01, a vaccine candidate for treating Parkinson's, from Affiris in an all-stock deal worth $58.7 million.

* AC Immune is getting assets and intellectual property linked to vaccine candidates that focus on alpha-synuclein, a protein tied to Parkinson's, plus $5 million in cash for 7.1 million shares.

* In total, AC Immune is issuing 10.1 million shares in conjunction with the acquisition and related financing in exchange for assets worth $53.7 million and $30 million in cash, it said.

* AC Immune plans to immediately launch clinical development of acquired vaccine into Phase 2 study in Parkinson's disease.

* Price Action: ACIU shares are up 2.53% at $7.30 during the premarket session on the last check Tuesday.