Pharma & Biotech Mergers & Acquisitions News
Pharmaceutical
Big pharmas are not deterred by China’s increasingly complex business environment. Instead, they are changing strategies to minimize risks while continuing to benefit from China, said speakers at ChinaTrials held last week in Shanghai. 18 November 2024
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Biotechnology
Japanese drug major Shionogi has entered into a worldwide license agreement to develop and market ospemifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), with QuatRx Pharmaceuticals of the USA. 3 March 2010
Biotechnology
US specialty drugs and medical devices firm Baxter International has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding equity of privately-held UK orthobiological products company ApaTech for total consideration of up to $330 million. 2 March 2010
Biotechnology
German drug major Merck KGaA has entered into a definitive agreement whereby it will acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Massachusetts, USA-based biotechnology equipment maker Millipore, for $ 107 per share in cash, or a total transaction value, including net debt of around $890 million, of around 5.3 billion euros ($ 7.2 billion). The deal has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies. 1 March 2010
Biotechnology
During 2009 and based on preliminary results, a total of 932 mergers and acquisitions were announced in 13 sectors of the health care industry, a 7% decrease from the 1,001 transactions announced in 2008, according to a new report from Erving Levin Associates. 21 January 2010
Biotechnology
Few people ' or businesses ' were buoyed up by last week's UK Pre-Budget Report (PBR). But bosses in one sector had big smiles on their faces. The Chancellor's decision to slash corporation tax on income derived from patents to just 10% was great news for Britain's big pharma firms 23 December 2009
Biotechnology
US stem-cell specialist Athersys' shares rocketed almost 200% to $2.96 after it revealed yesterday that it has entered into an agreement with global drug behemoth Pfizer to develop and commercialize its MultiStem for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Pfizer's stock rose 3% to $18.77 on the news. 22 December 2009
Biotechnology
In a move aimed at further expanding its footprint in the biotechnology sector, US drug giant Merck & Co says it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the biologics business of the Avecia Biologics group through affiliate Merck Sharp & Dohme. Avecia is a contract manufacturing organization with specific expertise in microbial-derived biologics. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed but, according to a report by News Canada, Merck spokesman Ian McConnell said the value is well below $1 billion. 18 December 2009
Biotechnology
USA-based Biogen Idec's fight to gain control of Facet Biotech came to an end last night, when the latter's shareholders rejected its final, unsolicited offer of $17.50 a share, valuing the firm at about $493 million, which went hostile with a tender offer that has now expired. 18 December 2009
Biotechnology
The UK's Silence Therapeutics and USA-based Intradigm Corp have announced plans to merge their businesses to form a leading company in the field of RNAi (RNA interference). The enlarged company, to be called Silence Therapeutics, will have multiple RNAi discovery, development and delivery technologies, a broad internal and partnered product pipeline and a broad portfolio of intellectual property. 17 December 2009
Biotechnology
Continuing its bid to take control of fellow USA-based Facet Biotoech, Biogen Idec declared yesterday that it is prepared to run a proxy contest to replace at least a majority of Facet's board of directors who have persistently rejected its advances, if Facet shareholders tender a majority of the company's shares outstanding before Biogen Idec's tender offer expires. 17 December 2009
Biotechnology
The USA's Dow Chemical Co has formed a new independent company that will be known as Pfenex Inc through its Dow Venture Capital group. The new company, headquartered in San Diego, California, is based on human health applications of a Dow-developed technology called Pfenex Expression Technology, a robust Pseudomonas fluorescens-based platform that uses high throughput, parallel processing methodologies for optimized protein production, that has been utilized by likes of global drug giant Pfizer. 9 December 2009
Biotechnology
December 4, 2009
US biotechnology firm Biogen Idec is continuing its fight to gain control of Facet Biotech, increasing its offer to $17.50 per share in cash, representing a rise of $3.00 per share, or 21%, over its previous bid. Biogen said that this is its 'best and final offer,' but was nevertheless reject by the board of Facet. The offer will expire on December 16. 4 December 2009
Biotechnology
UK-based drug giant GlaxoSmithKline says it has completed the extension of its strategic relationship with South Africa's largest pharmaceutical firm, Aspen Pharmacare, and the acquisition of a minority shareholding in the company. 2 December 2009
Biotechnology
Italy-headquartered biopharmaceutical firmBioXell SpA saw its share price gain 15% to 7.10 Swiss francs on the Swiss Exchange: after announcing that it that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Italian rival Cosmo Pharmaceuticals SpA, in a deal valuing the firm at around 41.3 million francs ($40.7 million). Under the terms of the accord, Cosmo will launch a public tender offer for all outstanding shares of BioXell, which was founded in 2002 as a spin-out from Swiss drug major Roche. 18 November 2009
Biotechnology
Swedish biotechnology group Biovitrum has signed a deal to buy drug firm Swedish Orphan, jointly owned by holding company Investor AB and private equity firm Priveq. Biovitrum will pay an upfront 3.5 billion Swedish kronor ($493.2 million) on a cash and debt-free basis. 5 November 2009
Biotechnology
With the finalization of its $41.1 billion merger first announced in April with fellow US drug major Schering-Plough late on November 3, the new Merck & Co is up and running and has outlined its global plans and financial expectations The new company becomes the world's second-biggest drugmaker by turnover, catapulting the old Merck from number eight worldwide by sales, and it expects to have a cash flow of some $15 billion to make strategic acquisitions. The new firm's share price jumped 6.4% to $32.79 on the first day of trading. 5 November 2009
Biotechnology
With large firms seeking synergies to drive down R&D costs, merger and acquisition deals can aid in the transfer of technical knowledge, scalability and reduce time to market. However, previous M&A periods have not alleviated the productivity crisis. While short term gains emerge from these deals, in the mid- to long-term, R&D innovation, organic growth, and internal drivers are still key facet's behind creating a successful company and providing an organization with sustainability. 30 October 2009
Biotechnology
BioMarin Pharmaceutical says that it has acquired fellow USA-based Huxley Pharmaceuticals, which has rights to a proprietary form of 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP), amifampridine phosphate, for the rare autoimmune disease Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS). 27 October 2009
Biotechnology
US privately-held Cephalon has signed an option agreement to acquire BioAssets Development Corp (BDC). Under the terms of the deal, Cephalon will pay BDC an upfront $30 million and, assuming exercise of the option, an additional amount on the closing of the transaction. BDC stockholders could also receive additional future payments related to regulatory and sales milestones. The accord is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of necessary BDC stockholder approvals. 26 October 2009
Biotechnology
OXiGENE and fellow drug developer VaxGen have entered into a definitive merger agreement following which OXiGENE will acquire VaxGen in exchange for common stock of OXiGENE. On closing of the transaction, VaxGen will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of OXiGENE, and VaxGen stockholders will become stockholders of OXiGENE. The deal is valued at around $22 million. 16 October 2009
Biotechnology
Aizen Therapeutics, an AI-driven biotech headquartered in San Diego, has officially launched from stealth mode, introducing its drug discovery platform, DaX. 21 November 2024
Biotechnology
Massachusetts, USA-based firm VBI Vaccines has initiated a nationwide voluntary recall of PreHevbrio (hepatitis B vaccine), as it proceeds with bankruptcy and the shutdown of its operations. 19 November 2024
Biotechnology
Last week saw US pharma major AbbVie release disappointing Phase II trial results on its emraclidine in schizophrenia, which benefited Bristol Myers Squibb. Also on the research front, Germany’s Merck KGaA and Abbisko’s pimicotinib showed positive results in tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). M&A news saw German BioNTech punting $800 million upfront to acquire China based oncology focused Biotheus. Also of note, US drugmaker Halozyme Therapeutics made an unsolicited takeover bid for Evotec, valuing the German firm, at around 2 billion euros. 17 November 2024
Biotechnology
Shares of German drug discovery company Evotec leapt 20% to 10.33 euros this morning on the revelation that the USA’s Halozyme Therapeutics has submitted a non-binding proposal to acquire Evotec for 11.00 euros per share in cash, implying a fully-diluted equity value of around 2.0 billion euros ($2.12 billion). 15 November 2024
Biotechnology
BeiGene has announced plans to rebrand as BeOne Medicines, a move the cancer specialist says reflects its commitment to fighting cancer through collaboration. 15 November 2024
Biotechnology
Although it is seeing a downturn in sales and profits, German biotech BioNTech is continuing to acquire assets with the cash pile it made through the covid pandemic, notably iis Comirnaty vaccine that was developed with Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). 13 November 2024
Biotechnology
Trace Neuroscience, a newly launched biopharma based in San Francisco, aims to advance treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, starting with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). 12 November 2024
Biotechnology
AlloVir has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with biopharma company Kalaris Therapeutics. 8 November 2024
Biotechnology
California, USA-based biotech Nektar Therapeutics’ shares closed up more than 8% at $1.33 yesterday after it announced the sale of its only manufacturing facility. 5 November 2024
Biotechnology
Maryland, USA–based glycobiology specialist GlycoMimetics has entered into an acquisition agreement with Crescent Biopharma, a privately held biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of oncology therapeutics designed to treat solid tumors. 30 October 2024
Biotechnology
German drugmaker Dr Falk Pharma GmbH today announced completion of the acquisition of Kynos Therapeutics, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development of novel KMO inhibitors for acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. 29 October 2024
Biotechnology
US Pharma major AbbVie has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Aliada Therapeutics, a biotech advancing therapies using a novel blood-brain barrier (BBB)-crossing technology to address challenging central nervous system (CNS) diseases. 29 October 2024
Biotechnology
Ottimo Pharma, a biotech founded by Medicxi in 2020, has emerged from stealth mode with an executive team packed with prominent industry leaders. 28 October 2024
Biotechnology
Last week Vertex Pharmaceuticals released positive Phase III results for its suzetrigine for moderate-to-severed pain. Belgium’s UCB revealed that Swiss pharma giant Roche was terminating its collaboration on the Alzheimer’s candidate bepranemab. The UK’s health technology assessor the Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) declined to recommend a second Alzheimer’s treatment, this time Eli Lilly’s Kisunla. Also of note, Lyell Immunopharma announced its planned acquisition of ImmPACT Bio and reprioritization of its own clinical pipeline. 27 October 2024
Biotechnology
California, USA-based Lyell Immunopharma (Nasdaq: LYEL) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held US CAR-T company ImmPACT Bio. 26 October 2024
Biotechnology
Mumbai-based Mankind Pharma has completed its acquisition of Bharat Serums and Vaccines (BSV), adding to its portfolio in the women’s health and fertility market. 24 October 2024
Biotechnology
Ocuphire Pharma has announced its acquisition of Opus Genetics, a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on treating inherited retinal diseases. 24 October 2024
Biotechnology
Connecticut, USA-based Modifi Biosciences today announced that the company has been acquired by pharma giant Merck & Co 23 October 2024
Biotechnology
Taiwan-based REGiMMUNE, a biopharma creating immunotherapies through the power of regulatory T cells (Tregs), and France-based Kiji Therapeutics, a specialist in induced pluripotent stem cells-mesenchymal stem cells (IPSC-MSC) engineered cell therapies for inflammatory diseases, are to merge. 18 October 2024
Biotechnology
Danish CNS specialist Lundbeck today revealed that it has reached to acquire Longboard Pharmaceuticals. 15 October 2024
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