Pharma & Biotech Mergers & Acquisitions News
Pharmaceutical
Full mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology in 2024 fluctuated throughout the year with hardly any in some months and a significant number in other. But one thing was clear – buyers were shying away from big bets on commercially ready medicines in favor of earlier stage drug developers. 3 January 2025
Today's issue
Refine Search
Latest Mergers & Acquisitions News & Features
Pharmaceutical
Immedica Pharma, a Swedish company specializing in rare diseases, has announced its acquisition of Marinus Pharmaceuticals in a deal valued at $151 million. The agreement, finalized through a cash tender offer, marks a significant expansion of Immedica’s presence in the US market. 6 January 2025
Pharmaceutical
Full mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology in 2024 fluctuated throughout the year with hardly any in some months and a significant number in other. But one thing was clear – buyers were shying away from big bets on commercially ready medicines in favor of earlier stage drug developers. 3 January 2025
Pharmaceutical
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has acquired UK-based biotech Oxular, enhancing its gene therapy development program with the firm’s specialized ocular delivery tech. 3 January 2025
Pharmaceutical
Denmark-based diabetes and obesity giant Novo Nordisk says it plans to invest 8.5 billion Danish kroner ($1.2 billion) to establish a completely new production facility in Odense, Denmark. 16 December 2024
Pharmaceutical
The pharmaceutical and life sciences industry is gearing up for what analysts at PwC predict will be a highly active year for mergers and acquisitions in 2025, following a mixed performance in 2024. 13 December 2024
Pharmaceutical
Canada-headquartered Bausch + Lomb Corporation, a leading global eye health company, on Thursday confirmed reports that it is exploring a potential sale, acting in response to a request from the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO). 13 December 2024
Pharmaceutical
UK-based Tenpoint Therapeutics and Seattle’s Visus Therapeutics have announced the completion of their merger to create an entirely new chapter in ophthalmic therapeutic medicines aimed at rejuvenating the aging eye. 12 December 2024
Pharmaceutical
The European Commission has approved unconditionally, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of contract development and manufacture organization (CDMO) Catalent (NYSE: MCTLT) by Denmark’s Novo Holdings. 7 December 2024
Pharmaceutical
GE Healthcare has announced plans to acquire from Sumitomo Chemical the half of Nihon Medi-Physics (NMP) that it doesn’t own. 5 December 2024
Pharmaceutical
Germany’s Evotec has said its chief operating officer Craig Johnstone will leave the business at the end of the year. 29 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Munich, Germany headquartered contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Adragos Pharma has acquired Baccinex, a Swiss-based expert in aseptic fill-finish manufacturing. 28 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
The board of Spanish plasma-based medicines producer Grifols has announced the termination of discussions with Brookfield Capital Partners (UK) regarding a potential acquisition of Grifols shares. 28 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Swiss pharma giant Novartis today announced an upgrade to its mid-term guidance, in advance of its Meet Novartis Management event for investors and analysts in London. 21 November 2024
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
Pharmaceutical
Life science investor Syncona has announced the launch of its newest portfolio company, Slingshot Therapeutics, through the Syncona Accelerator initiative. 14 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
European regulators will decide by December 6 whether Novo Holdings, the controlling shareholder of Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk, can finalize its $16.5 billion acquisition of contract drug manufacturer Catalent. 5 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical M&A came back with a bang during October, after a quiet September. 5 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
US pharma major AbbVie last week proposed $1.4 billion acquisition of US CNS drug developer Aliada Therapeutics. Last week saw a bunch of third quarter 2024 financials results, among which were Elil Lilly, AbbVie and Merck & Co. Also of note, Lexicon’s type I diabetes drug Zynquista faced a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee review that resulted in largely negative vote against recommendation. 3 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Melbourne, Australia-based Telix Pharmaceuticals has announced the launch of Rhine Pharma, a subsidiary aimed at increasing global access to radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment and imaging. 22 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
French pharma major Sanofi has opened negotiations to sell a 50% controlling stake in its consumer health business Opella to US private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R). 21 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
Myriad Pharmaceuticals has entered into an agreement to buy fellow USA-based biotechnology firm Javelin Pharmaceuticals in an all-stock deal estimated at about $96 million, gaining rights to Javelin's lead post-operative pain drug, Dyloject (diclofenac sodium for injection), which is awaiting approval from the Food and Drug Administration for the multimodal management of moderate-to-severe post-operative pain. 21 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
Mergers and acquisitions have contributed 63% of Big Pharma's current and potential sales growth over the 1995-2014period, according to a new analysis by Datamonitor, which notes that large-scale M&A activity remains an integral strategy of Big Pharma and will contribute nearly two-thirds of peer set sales growth over 1995'2014. 15 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
The European Commission has granted clearance under the European Union Merger Regulation for the acquisition of sole control of Pharmacy Company Sweden 1 AB and Pharmacy Company Sweden 8 AB, subsidiaries of Swedish state-owned company Apoteket AB, by Altor Fund III of the Channel Islands. 14 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
Although, to date, there has been no official announcement from the US Securities and Exchange Commission, according to the Wall Street Journal, drug behemoth Pfizer's $68 billion purchase of Wyeth and Merck & Co's $41.1 billion acquisition of Schering-Plough are two of at least nine transactions under investigation by the SEC for possible insider-trading violations. The newspaper quoted 'people familiar with the matter' as the source of its information. 10 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
Celgene Corp says it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire fellow USA-based rival acquire Gloucester Pharmaceuticals., in a two-part deal valuing the latter at some $640 million and provide it with rights to a new blood cancer drug, Istodax (romidepsin). The transaction has been approved by both firms' boards of director and is subject to customary closing conditions. 8 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
San Diego, firm La Jolla Pharmaceutical, which has been struggling financially since it had to drop development of its Phase III lupus drug Riquent (abetimus sodium) in February, has entered into a definitive merger agreement with fellow USA-based Adamis Pharmaceuticals. On closing, the combined company will focus on the development and commercialization of therapeutic products for a variety of viral diseases, including hepatitis and influenza. 8 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
California, USA-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has agreed to acquire Laboratoire Dr Renaud, a cosmeceutical company located in Laval, Quebec, Canada for approximately C$23 million ($21.8 million). 8 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
Shareholders of struggling pain-management firm Anesiva have approved the merger with Arcion Therapeutics, first announced in the summer. In connection with the deal, Anesiva stockholders also approved a one-for-40 reverse stock split, which will be effected upon the close of the merger. 8 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
Pfizer may be planning to close six of its 20 R&D centres around the world following its takeover of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, but it is expanding its commitment to R&D work in China. 26 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Sanofi-Aventis chief executive Chris Viehbacher, in an interview with the UK's Financial Times, again rejects the idea of large acquisitions. He also reiterates his policy of R&D externalization, acknowledging that the company historically had 'not a lot of external partnerships, virtually no contact with our commercial organizations.' 23 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Australia's Biota Holdings announced two deals this morning that will greatly expand its pipeline of potentially life-saving drugs after agreeing to buy two life-sciences businesses, UK-based Prolysis and USA-based MaxThera. 12 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
New Jersey, USA-based Enzon Pharmaceuticals says that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its specialty pharmaceutical business to the Italian, privately-owned Sigma-Tau Group for $300 million plus an additional amount of up to $27 million based on success milestones. Enzon will also receive royalties of 5%-10% on incremental net sales above a 2009 baseline amount from the US firm's four marketed specialty pharmaceutical products through 2014. 10 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Netherlands,-based Qiagen has signed a definite agreement to acquire SABiosciences Corp, a privately-held, US developer and manufacturer of disease- and pathway-focused PCR assay panels. The transaction is valued at $90 million in cash (subject to customary purchase price adjustments) and is expected to close in late December 2009, following approval of SABiosciences' stockholders and the expiration of the statutory waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. 10 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Leading provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and health care industries, IMS, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by investment funds managed by TPG Capital and the CPP Investment Board in a transaction with a total value of $5.2 billion, including the assumption of debt. 6 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Just a day after revealing a $1 billion-plus investment in China for R&D (The Pharma Letter November 3), Swiss drug major Novartis announced that it will acquire an 85% stake in Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical, a private vaccines company for $125 million as a part of its strategic initiative to expand human vaccines presence in China. The acquisition will require Chinese regulatory and government approvals. 4 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
US drug majors Merck & Co and Schering-Plough have completed their merger and will begin combined operations today. As previously announced, Schering-Plough will change its name to Merck and its common stock will trade under the ticker symbol 'MRK' on the New York Stock Exchange. 4 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
The strong quarterly results that have been announced recently by several large pharmaceutical companies over the past week or so may not be all they seem, says industry observer Steve Webb, chairman of pharmaceutical software supplier Interactive Medica. He believes that the good financials are due more to short-term cost cutting and mergers rather than organic growth. In fact, he notes, profits mask major structural issues with pharmaceutical sales models in Western Europe and the USA. 2 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Merck & Co's $41.1 billion acquisition of fellow US drug major Schering-Plough moved a significant step closer with clearance from the US Federal Trade Commission, the Swiss Competition Commission and the Canadian Competition Bureau on October 29. All that is now left is approval from the relevant authorities in China and Mexico, the companies note, saying they still expect completion of the transaction by year-end. 30 October 2009
Pharmaceutical
US drugmakers Ligand Pharmaceuticals and Metabasis Therapeutics have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Ligand will acquire all of the outstanding shares of the latter. 27 October 2009
Pharmaceutical
Merck & Co, which is in the process of acquiring US rival Schering-Plough in a $4.1 billion deal, moved a step closer to finalizing the transaction with European Commission approval coming through on October 22. On the same day, Merck announced that that its third-quarter 2009 net income more than tripled to $3.4 billion, compared with $1.1 billion in the prior-year period, due mainly to a one-time gain from the sale of its interest in animal health care company Merial to partner Sanofi-Aventis, a competition authority condition for the S-P merger. This beat by 8 cents the average estimate of 13 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Total quarterly revenue rose 2% to $6 billion, meeting consensus expectations. 23 October 2009
Sign up to receive email updates
Join industry leaders for a daily roundup of biotech & pharma news
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2024 | Headless Content Management with Blaze