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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Latest Mergers & Acquisitions News & Features
Biotechnology
US cancer drug developer Ikena Oncology today announced the closing of its acquisition of privately-held clinical-stage biotech Pionyr Immunotherapeutics in an all-stock transaction. 7 August 2023
Pharmaceutical
Two of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies - Merck & Co and Pfizer - last week reported second-quarter financial results that were seriously impacted by the decline in the need for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, but still came out with impressive figures. Troubled US biotech EQRx, which launched with the promise of reforming drug pricing, has given up its dream and accepted an all-stock merger proposal from Revolution Medicines. Japanese drugmakers Sumitomo Pharma and Otsuka suffered a setback in their two clinical trials of the schizophrenia candidate ulotaront. 6 August 2023
Pharmaceutical
US biotech Biogen announced a major M&A deal in July, with Eli Lilly and Novartis the other big biopharma companies to unveil acquisitions during the month. 4 August 2023
Pharmaceutical
German family-owned drugmaker Grünenthal and Japan’s Kyowa Kiron today announced the successful completion of a deal to enter into a joint venture collaboration for Kyowa Kirin International's established medicines portfolio. 2 August 2023
Biotechnology
US drugmaker EQRx, founded on the principle of developing and delivering innovative medicines to patients at radically lower prices, saw its share price leap more than 19% to $2.04 by mid-morning (having hit a high of $2.22), on news of a takeover bid. 1 August 2023
Biotechnology
Shares in US genetic medicines company Homology Medicines leapt more than 35% to $1.34 last Friday, after it revealed it has completed a review of its business, and the board of directors has approved a plan to evaluate strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value. 31 July 2023
Biotechnology
Last week’s deal-making news featured Swiss pharma giant Roche announcing a licensing agreement for Alnylam’s hypertension candidate zilebesiran that could earn the US biotech as much as $2.8billion. US biotech Biogen released second-quarter 2023 financial results along with a cost-saving plans and prospects for the new fully-approved Alzheimer’s disease drug Leqembi, developed and marketed with Japan’s Eisai. Eli Lilly released further encouraging Phase III data for its candidate tirzepatide in weight loss. The drug is already marketed under the trade name Mounjaro for diabetes. Also. On Friday, Biogen entered into an agreement to acquire Reata Pharma, and its newly-approved rare disease drug Skyclarys, for $7.3 billion. 30 July 2023
Pharmaceutical
Shares of US rare disease drugmaker Reata Pharmaceuticals shot up 52.8% to $165.90 by mid-morning today, on news of a takeover bid. 28 July 2023
Biotechnology
California, USA-bas biotech Quince Therapeutics today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire EryDel SpA, a privately-held, late-stage biotech company, in a stock-for-stock upfront exchange and potential downstream milestone cash payments. 24 July 2023
Biotechnology
San Diego, USA-based Turnstone Biologics has announced the pricing of its upsized initial public offering of 6,666,667 shares of common stock at a price to the public of $12.00 per share. 24 July 2023
Pharmaceutical
The US Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice have released a draft update of the Merger Guidelines, which describe and guide the agencies’ review of mergers and acquisitions to determine compliance with federal antitrust laws. 20 July 2023
Pharmaceutical
The Sosei Group Corporation has acquired Swiss biotech Idorsia’s pharma business in Japan and Asia Pacific, excluding China. 20 July 2023
Pharmaceutical
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is again flexing its muscles in the pharma sector, with the aim of blocking IQVIA Holdings, the world’s largest health care data provider, from acquiring Propel Media (PMI). 19 July 2023
Biotechnology
Boston, USA-based clinical-stage biotech Pieris Pharmaceuticals saw its shares surge as much as 70%, and still up 27% at $0.24 mid-morning, after it provided a strategic update following recent events that have impacted its inhaled respiratory franchise. 18 July 2023
Pharmaceutical
Mirum Pharmaceuticals, a US biopharma dedicated to transforming the treatment of rare liver diseases, is to buy Travere Therapeutics’ bile acid product portfolio. 17 July 2023
Biotechnology
DTx Pharma, a San Diego, USA-based pre-clinical stage biotechnology company, today announced that it has been acquired by Swiss pharm giant Novartis. 17 July 2023
Biotechnology
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a second request to Seagen and Pfizer regarding the $43 billion acquisition of Seagen by Pfizer, the former announced in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing after the close of trading on Friday. 17 July 2023
Biotechnology
Eli Lilly announced its third major M&A deal in the past two months on Friday. 14 July 2023
Biotechnology
US cell and gene therapy biotech Frequency Therapeutics saw its share leap more than 62% to $0.65 pre-market Friday, after announcing an agreement with RNA editing company Korro Bio to merge in an all-stock transaction. 14 July 2023
Biotechnology
US gene therapy company Avrobio today announced that it has completed a review of its business, including the status of its programs, resources, and capabilities, joining a growing list of biotechs that have recently announced similar actions. 12 July 2023
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
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
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
Biosimilars
South Korean biosimilars company Celltrion today announced its acquisition of iQone Healthcare Switzerland a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on distribution, sales, and marketing in Switzerland. 15 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
Pharmaceutical
Life science investor Syncona has announced the launch of its newest portfolio company, Slingshot Therapeutics, through the Syncona Accelerator initiative. 14 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
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
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
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
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
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