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
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
Biotechnology
USA-based Generex Biotechnology (OTC Bulletin Board: GNBT) unveiled management's strategic development plan for the company's future growth at a press conference this week which included a spin out and two senior management appointments. 1 April 2011
Biotechnology
In a second acquisition move this month, the USA's Cephalon (Nasdaq: CEPH) says it intends to make a takeover bid for Australian hematology-focused company ChemGenex, for around A$225 million ($231 million). The offer has the unanimous support of the ChemGenex directors who will recommend it to shareholders in the absence of a superior bid for the firm. 29 March 2011
Biotechnology
Switzerland-based Actelion (ATLN: VX), Europe's largest biotech company, has sent a letter to shareholders encouraging them to reject an attempt by the UK's Elliott Advisors, which has a stake of around 6% in the firm, to take control of the board and says that two if its current directors have rejected requests to support the takeover initiative. 29 March 2011
Biotechnology
Israel-based XTL Biopharmaceuticals (TASE: XTL), saw its sales jump 8.6% to 0.504 shekels after announcing on March 24 that, it had entered into a term sheet to acquire the activity of MinoGuard by obtaining an exclusive license to use MinoGuard's entire technology in return for royalties on sales and milestone payments throughout the clinical development process. Further financial terms were not disclosed. 28 March 2011
Biotechnology
The pharmaceutical industry continues to witness major challenges like sluggish prescription trends, European Union pricing pressure, intensifying generic competition, pipeline failures and limited late-stage catalysts. The next five years are expected to reflect a significant imbalance between new product introductions and patent losses, comment analysts at Zacks Equity Research. 4 March 2011
Biotechnology
Confirming recent speculation French drug major Sanofi-Aventis (Euronext: SAN) and US biotech Genzyme (Nasdaq: GENZ) have finally reached agreement on an acceptable acquisition price, when the Paris-based firm this morning announced that it has raised its original offer of $69 a share to $74, for a total value of 20.1 billion, which has been unanimously agreed by both companies' boards of directors. 16 February 2011
Biotechnology
US biotech BioTime (NYSE Amex: BTX), a company that develops and markets products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, says it has signed a definitive agreement to merge Utah-based Glycosan BioSystems) with its wholly-owned subsidiary, OrthoCyte. The acquisition is expected to close by March 18, 2011. 15 February 2011
Biotechnology
The biotechnology industry in the USA opened the New Year quietly with the Burrill Biotech Select Index up marginally for January at 0.3%. Meanwhile, the capital markets recorded their strongest January in years. The Dow Jones Industrial average closed the month with a 2.7% gain and the Nasdaq Composite index closed up 1.8%. 8 February 2011
Biotechnology
Switzerland based Actelion (SIX: ATLN), Europe largest biotech company, went on the defensive last Friday after one of its investors, Elliot Associates hedge fund, sent a letter to the firm's directors (which came into the public domain), saying that chairman Robert Cawthorn should resign and the chief executive Jean-Paul Clozel should step down from the board, and calling for the formation of a strategic committee to explore the company's options on rumored takeover approaches. 7 February 2011
Biotechnology
Japan's leading diversified materials manufacturer, Nitto Denko Corp (TYO: 6988), last week announced that it has acquired privately-owned Avecia Biotechnology through Nitto Americas, a wholly owned subsidiary in Teaneck, New Jersey. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 7 February 2011
Biotechnology
Alexion Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ALXN) says that it has acquired 100% of Taligen Therapeutics, a fellow USA-based privately held development-stage biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for an upfront cash payment of $111 million. Additional contingent payments would be earned upon reaching various clinical efficacy and product approval milestones in both the USA and European Union for up to six products. 2 February 2011
Biotechnology
More than five months into ongoing attempts to acquire US biotech firm Genzyme (Nasdaq: GENZ), French drug major Sanofi-Aventis (Euronext: SAN) has progressed to the point where Genzyme's board has authorized the company to enter into a confidentiality agreement in order to allow Sanofi to conduct due diligence. 1 February 2011
Biotechnology
Yesterday was a busy day for world leading biotech company Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) which, along with its expected financial results, also said it is to acquire privately-held, venture-backed biotechnology firm BioVex Group, which is developing OncoVEX (GM-CSF), a novel oncolytic vaccine in Phase III clinical development, that may represent a new approach to treating melanoma and head and neck cancer. 25 January 2011
Biotechnology
During 2010 and based on preliminary results, a total of 913 mergers and acquisitions were announced in 13 sectors of the health care industry, a 3% decrease from the 945 transactions announced in 2009. Based on prices revealed to date, a total of $206.5 billion was committed to finance the year's 913 deals, according to a new report from Irving Levin Associates. This represents an 11% decrease from the $232.2 billion in 2009. In terms of dollars. 24 January 2011
Biotechnology
USA-based NeoStem (NYSE Amex: NBS) and Progenitor Cell Therapy have closed their previously announced merger transaction. NeoStem issued 11.2 million shares and warrants to purchase between 1 million to 3 million additional shares to the current owners of Progenitor, giving the deal a value of around $20million, observers have noted. 21 January 2011
Biotechnology
With many drug majors facing patent expiries on blockbuster drugs, the year 2010 was marked by a plethora of licensing deals and mergers and acquisitions, aimed at boosting R&D pipelines and entering niche or emerging markets, all looking to boost revenues which have also been falling because of increased drug pricing pressures around the world. 13 January 2011
Biotechnology
Leading US biotech group Genzyme (Nasdaq: GENZ) - the subject of a hostile takeover bid from French drug major Sanofi-Aventis (Euronext: SAN) - yesterday reported that preliminary fourth-quarter 2010 revenue grew 23% to $1.15 billion and for the full year advanced 2.5% to $4.1 billion. The unaudited figures were revealed by the firm's chairman and chief executive, Henri Termeer at the JP Morgan 29th annual Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. 12 January 2011
Biotechnology
Wilmington, USA-based contract research organization PPD Inc. (Nasdaq: PPDI) has established a joint venture with Taijitu Biologics (TBL) in the area of the discovery of novel Biotherapeutics, to help drugmakers develop the next generation of monoclonal antibody (MAb) drugs. 12 January 2011
Biotechnology
Finland-based biotech firm Biotie Therapies (Nasdaq-OMX; BTH1V) has signed an accord to acquire privately-held Swiss company Synosia Therapeutics Holding AG. Under the agreement, Biotie will issue 161,448,371 shares to the shareholders and warrant holders of Synosia for the entire issued share capital and outstanding warrants of Synosia. 11 January 2011
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