AdventRx Pharmaceuticals has agreed to acquire the privately held biotech SynthRx in an all-stock deal that will see the company move into the sickle cell disease (SCD) therapy area. With the acquisition, AdventRx will gain SynthRx’s lead programme, a purified form of poloxamer 188 (188), which has been granted Orphan Drug Designation for paediatric SCD but which has stalled in development. SynthRx will become a wholly owned subsidiary of AdventRx, in exchange for a 4% ownership stake in the company. Over 95% of the merger consideration is based upon milestone achievements.