Johnson & Johnson to buy private drug developer for $1.75B

Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $1.75 billion in cash to buy privately held Alios BioPharma Inc., which is developing a drug for a respiratory viral infection for which there is no approved treatment, Reuters reports.

The experimental drug, AL-8176, is designed to treat infants with respiratory syncytial virus.

J&J has been increasing its focus on treatments for infectious diseases, having signed two other deals earlier this year - one for the maintenance treatment of people with HIV and the second to treat influenza.

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