MoFo wraps up Renovo drug licence and AMT float

The London office of US firm Morrison & Foerster (MoFo) has scored a life sciences double, advising on an $825m (£409.52m) licensing deal for drug researcher Renovo and on the float of Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (AMT) on Euronext.

London partner Julian Thurston led on both deals, which closed on the same day at the end of June. The AMT deal was the first Euronext IPO for the London office.

Thurston said: "I've represented Renovo since it got going back in 1999. The AMT reference came from someone in the legal department of Amgen about 18 months ago."

Loyens & Loeff provided local law advice to AMT, with Stibbe advising banks ABN Amro and Kempen. AMT had a market value of e139m (£93.76m) on its float.

MoFo associates Natalie Diep and Tara Sherbrooke worked on the AMT deal.

Renovo licensed its lead drug Juvista to pharmaceutical company Shire in a deal potentially worth $825m once Juvista is on the market. The team on the Renovo deal included associates Ed Lukins, Bradley Theobald and James Ryan.

Thurston said: "Collaborations the size of the Renovo deal do not happen every day and this is one of the largest deals seen in the UK market for a number of years."

Morgan Lewis advised Shire.