Major investments made by Nestle Health Science

GENEVA: Nestle believes its Health Science unit will eventually generate annual sales of 10 billion Swiss francs ($10.3 billion). It already has sales of more than 2 billion francs. Here are some of its recent deals: Sept 2016: Staged acquisition of Phagenesis, a medical device company with a treatment for dysphagia, the inability to swallow safely. May 2016: Licensing deal worth up to 100 million euros with DBV Technologies to develop and market an experimental milk allergy test for infants. April 2016: Participated in $16.5 million financing round by Enterome Bioscience for an experimental microbiomebased therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases. Feb 2016: Investment of $42.5 million in Pronutria Biosciences, now Axcella Health, a specialist in developing medicines for disease caused by amino acid imbalance. Jan 2016: Deal with Seres Therapeutics for its microbiome-based treatments for C. difficile infection and inflammatory bowel disease, potentially worth over $1.9 billion. Sept 2015: Licensing agreement with Lipid Therapeutics for exclusive worldwide rights, except for Europe and Australia, to its experimen- tal medicine for ulcerative colitis. May 2015: Partnership with Flagship Ventures and investment in the firm’s Ventures Fund V, a $537 million fund that has interests in nutritional therapy. Feb 2013: Acquisition of Pamlab, maker of medical food products for patients with mild cognitive impairment, depression and diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Nov 2012: Joint venture with Chi-Med was formed by Nestle to develop and sell botanical gastrointestinal drugs and nutritional products through access to its library of Chinese medicine. July 2012: Purchase of stake in Accera, a supplier of medical foods for patients with neurodegenerative disorders, including its Axona milkshake for Alzheimer’s patients. July 2011: Bought stake in Vital Foods, a developer of kiwifruit-based products for gastrointestinal conditions. May 2011: Acquisition of Prometheus Laboratories, a specialist in gastrointestinal drugs and diagnostics, focusing on conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. August 2010: Acquisition of Vitaflo, provider of nutritional products for patients with genetic metabolic disorders requiring highly restrictive diets.