With the sizeable investment, Nestlé Health Sciences also gets a three-month right of first negotiation for licensing or partnering to develop any Aimmune candidates, including Phase III AR101 for peanut allergy.

The January Nestlé Health-Seres alliance nets Seres one of the biggest up-front payments in several years for an ex-US product license, while Nestlé shows its continuing commitment to building a portfolio of GI nutritional therapeutics – an area where development efforts have been slow to take shape.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Dealmaking column is a survey of recent health care transactions listed by relevant industry segment – In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, and Research/Analytical Tools – and then categorized by type – Acquisition, Alliance, or Financing. This month’s column covers deals announced in September 2015.

U.S. Phase III studies could start in the next 12 months with Lipid Therapeutics’ purified formulation of phosphatidylcholine to reverse deficiencies in the gastrointestinal mucosal barrier in patients with ulcerative colitis.