Pharma & Biotech Mergers & Acquisitions News
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
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Biotechnology
Revelation Biosciences, a clinical-stage life sciences company focused on the development of immunologic based therapies for the prevention and treatment of disease, and Petra Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), have entered into a definitive merger agreement for a business combination that will result in Revelation Biosciences becoming a publicly traded company. 30 August 2021
Biotechnology
Among the notable news announced last week, US pharma giant Pfizer said it has reached agreement to acquire Canadian immune-oncology drug developer Trillium Therapeutics, in a deal that carries a price tag of $2.226 billion. Also of note, the US Food and Drug Administration granted full approval for Pfizer and BioNTech’s blockbuster COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty. Danish biotech Ascendis Pharma gained FDA clearance to market its pediatric growth hormone deficiency drug Skytrofa. China’s Brii Biosciences announced Phase III clinical data on its COVID-19 antibody combination therapeutic – BRII-196/BRII-198. And BioMarin Pharmaceutical received European Commission approval for its Voxzogo (vosoritide) in the treatment of achondroplasia, a rare disease that is the most common cause of dwarfism. 29 August 2021
Biosimilars
Indian drugmaker Cipla Limited and Kemwell Biopharma, one of the largest pharmaceutical contract manufacturing organizations (CDMO) in India, have executed a joint venture agreement to develop, manufacture and commercialize biosimilars for global markets. 27 August 2021
Pharmaceutical
Bain Capital has sold its 42.9%-plus convertible bonds in Kosdaq-listed botulinum toxin maker Hugel, reported the Korea JoongAng Daily and other media. 26 August 2021
Biotechnology
Shares of Canadian immuno-oncology drug developer Trillium Therapeutics skyrocketed 193% to $17.8 pre-market today, after it was revealed that its board has accepted a takeover bid from US pharma giant Pfizer. 23 August 2021
Biotechnology
US pharma major Eli Lilly has announced executive leadership changes and the creation of neuroscience and immunology business units. Effective September 5, Lilly Bio-Medicines will split into two business units: Lilly Neuroscience and Lilly Immunology. 18 August 2021
Biotechnology
US privately-held biotech HiberCell today announced the acquisition of Genuity Science, a life science technology company – previously known as WuXi NextCODE and with Chinese backing - that provides world-leading genomics and multi-omic analytics bolstered by an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) platform to illuminate the underlying cause of cancer and other diseases. 17 August 2021
Pharmaceutical
With private equity group Carlyle declining to increase its last offer of 155 pence a share in the bidding war for UK inhaled therapies specialist Vectura earlier this week, US tobacco and nicotine giant Philip Morris (PMI) looks set to be the winner. 13 August 2021
Biotechnology
German CNS specialist atai Life Sciences has announced the launch of Revixia Life Sciences, a wholly-owned subsidiary developing Salvinorin A (SalA) to treat a variety of mental health disorders. 12 August 2021
Biotechnology
Yet another public listing via special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) demonstrates the growing popularity of the approach, as an alternative to the traditional initial public offering. 11 August 2021
Pharmaceutical
In the latest twist in the battle to acquire Vectura, the board of the UK inhaled therapies maker today acknowledged that Carlyle, one of the two bidders, has announced it will not improve its 155 pence per share offer for the company, as declared on August 6, through its Murano Bidco vehicle. 11 August 2021
Pharmaceutical
Following the announcement on Friday that the board of Vectura had accepted an improved takeover offer from private equity group Carlyle of 155 pence a share, Philip Morris has increased its previous offer for the UK inhaled medicines company. 9 August 2021
Biotechnology
Among last week’s notable news, 10 years after the last drug for systemic lupus erythematosus was cleared for marketing, the UK’s AstraZeneca gained approval for its Saphnelo (anifrolumab) for SLE from the US Food and Drug Administration. M&A featured, with French drugmaker Sanofi, in a bid to catch up in the mRNA sector, saying it was shelling out $3.2 billion to acquire Translate Bio, and then Germany’s Bayer on Thursday announced it is acquiring US biotech Vividion Therapeutics for up to $2 billion. Also of note, US biotech Regeneron Pharmaceuticals presented positive new Phase III results for its lung cancer drug Libtayo. 8 August 2021
Pharmaceutical
UK-based inhaled medicines developer Vectura, which jilted a first offer from the Carlyle Group in July in favor of a bid from tobacco company Philip Morris, today received and accepted a higher bid from the private equity firm. 6 August 2021
Biotechnology
Having previously entered into a licensing deal with Translate Bio, French pharma major Sanofi today revealed that it has reached an accord to buy the US clinical-stage mRNA therapeutics company. 3 August 2021
Biotechnology
Last week Denali Therapeutics presented early-stage clinical data on its Hunter syndrome candidate DNL310 that did not go down too well with investors. On the deal-making front, US biotech bluebird bio reached agreement with National Resilience to develop next generation cell therapies that will earn it $100 million, while Japan’s PeptiDream struck another mega-bucks licensing accord last week, this time with US RNAi specialist Alnylam worth a potential $2.2 billion. Also, last Tuesday, biotech giant Amgen announced it is acquiring Teneobio in order to help strengthen its portfolio. 1 August 2021
Pharmaceutical
Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical and Frazier Healthcare Partners yesterday announced a collaboration to launch HilleVax, a biopharmaceutical company to develop and commercialize Takeda’s norovirus vaccine candidate. 30 July 2021
Pharmaceutical
British drugmaker AstraZeneca delivered strong revenue growth in the second quarter, taking in $8.2 billion, an increase of 31% from the same period last year. 29 July 2021
Pharmaceutical
Research from industry analyst GlobalData shows that acquisitions of contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) are increasing at a significant rate. 29 July 2021
Pharmaceutical
Germany-based biotech ATAI Life Sciences, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment of mental health disorders, and UniQuest, Australia’s leading university technology transfer company commercializing the research of The University of Queensland (UQ), today announced the launch of InnarisBio Inc, to develop a novel sol-gel intranasal drug delivery technology to improve treatments for mental health disorders. 28 July 2021
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
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
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
Last week’s significant news included Denmark-based CNS drugmaker Lundbeck reaching agreement to acquire US firm Longboard Pharmaceuticals, along with its bexicaserin, for $2.6 billion. Also, US pharma giant Pfizer entered into a deal with TRIANA Biomedicines to develop molecular glue degraders. On the regulatory front, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved Novocure’s key product Optune Lua for lung cancer patients. Also, German biotech BioNTech and its US partner OncoC4 received a partial clinical hold from the FDA on the Phase III trial of gotistobart in lung cancer. The European Medicines Agency’s human health committee, CHMP, Reaffirmed its non-approval of PTC Therapeutic’s Translarna. 20 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 Kezar Life Sciences announced this week that it was pausing its Phase IIb PALIZADE trial evaluating zetomipzomib in lupus nephritis (LN) following the deaths of four patients. 10 October 2024
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