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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Pharmaceutical
UK biotech firm Redx Pharma has a new majority shareholder, investment group Redmile, after the US-based company bought up nearly 40% of the company, bringing its total shareholding to over 45%. 13 March 2020
Pharmaceutical
US biotech Gilead Sciences stepped further into the immuno-oncology arena last week, announcing a $4.9 billion acquisition of Forty Seven Inc and its candidate magrolimab. On the regulatory front, Sanofi received US Food and Drug Administration for its multiple sclerosis drug Sarclisa isatuximab on Monday, some eight weeks earlier than expected. There was much reporting of developments on the novel coronavirus COVID-19, with Japan’s Takeda announcing a different approach to tackling the epidemic with plasma-based therapies via a candidate vaccine dubbed TAK-888. Also regarding research, there was disappointment for AstraZeneca, when its immune-oncology drug Imfinzi failed endpoints in a Phase III bladder cancer drug. 8 March 2020
Pharmaceutical
Osaka, Japan-headquartered Shionogi has moved a step closer to taking full ownership of rare disease specialist and co-developer Tetra Therapeutics. 6 March 2020
Pharmaceutical
Not a single deal worth $500 million or more was announced in February in the pharma M&A space. 6 March 2020
Generics
Germany’s Stada Arzneimittel says it is now the largest foreign investor in the Russian pharmaceutical industry, following the completion of a $660 million transaction for a Russian brand portfolio from Japan’s Takeda. 5 March 2020
Biotechnology
As part of US biopharma major AbbVie’s $6.3 billion acquisition of Ireland-incorporated Allergan announced last year, the European Commission has approved the divestiture of brazikumab, an investigational interleukin (IL)-23 inhibitor in development for autoimmune diseases, to AstraZeneca 3 March 2020
Pharmaceutical
Having failed in its attempt last year to take over the Dutch molecular diagnostics company last year, Thermo Fisher Scientific today announced that it has reached agreement to acquire Qiagen for 39 euros per share in cash, a 23% premium to the closing price on Monday. 3 March 2020
Biotechnology
Confirming rumors developing over the weekend that pushed the share of USA-based Forty Seven up as much as 35%, to a market capitalization of about $2.3 billion, US biotech major Gilead Sciences this morning announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the company for $95.50 per share in cash, representing a premium of 64.7% to the stock's Friday closing price. 2 March 2020
Pharmaceutical
US regulatory approvals featured significantly in last week’s news, with Esperion Therapeutics receiving Food and Drug Administration clearance for its cholesterol lowering drug Nexletol, marking the company’s first approval. Baudax Bio received FDA approval for its non-opioid pain drug Anjeso and the agency granted approval for Lundbeck’s Vyepti, the first intravenous treatment for migraine. In M&A news, Takeda exercized its option to acquire PvP Biologics, while deals included Sangamo’s collaboration with Biogen for its zinc finger protein technology and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. 1 March 2020
Pharmaceutical
The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) says it has submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the US Department of Justice (DoJ) Antitrust Division addressing the impact vertical mergers are having on the pharmacy supply chain, medication pricing and patient access and choice. 28 February 2020
Biotechnology
Under a January 2017 agreement, Japanese drug major Takeda Pharmaceutical has now taken up its option to acquire PvP Biologics, following the conclusion of a Phase I proof-of-mechanism study of investigational medicine TAK-062 (Kuma062) for the treatment of uncontrolled celiac disease. 26 February 2020
Generics
As the world is gripped by an escalating epidemic originating in China – the novel coronavirus dubbed COVID-19 that is threatening not just lives but also medicines supplies - French pharma major Sanofi today announced its intention to establish its own manufacturing company for drug ingredients. 24 February 2020
Biotechnology
A new Belgian biotech, Montis Biosciences, has launched with 8.4 million euros ($9 million) in seed financing. 20 February 2020
Pharmaceutical
Shares of US biopharma company Tocagen skyrocketed more than 80% to $0.89 in after-hours trading on Wednesday, after the company revealed it was planning an all-stock merger with privately-held Forte Biosciences. 20 February 2020
Pharmaceutical
Swiss drugmaker Vifor Pharma today said it has entered into strategic partnership with Germany-headquartered Fresenius Kabi to create a new joint company based in the People’s Republic of China expanding its access to the second largest pharmaceutical market in the world. 20 February 2020
Pharmaceutical
Germany’s science and pharma company Merck KGaA is selling its allergy business Allergopharma to Dermapharm, a German off-patent branded medicines manufacturer. 19 February 2020
Biotechnology
Research from technology company RS Components shows that the global biotechnology market is expected to reach $727 billion by 2025. 19 February 2020
Pharmaceutical
After collaborating for more than 20 years on the distribution of Ferriprox (deferiprone), Chiesi has agreed to buy worldwide rights to the drug. 17 February 2020
Generics
US generic drugmaker Akorn yesterday announced it has reached an agreement with certain of its lenders to extend the standstill period, and indicated it would seek a buyer. 13 February 2020
Pharmaceutical
A look at why US drugmaker Eli Lilly is willing to spend more than $1 billion on the takeover of dermatology specialist Dermira. 11 February 2020
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
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
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