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
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
Biotechnology
Merck Serono, a division of German drug major Merck KGaA says that Erbitux (cetuximab) can now be used in Japan in combination with chemotherapy in the first-line treatment for patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-expressing, curatively unresectable (inoperable), advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer (mCRC) carrying the KRAS wildtype gene. This development is due to a change in the Japanese product information for Erbitux. 29 March 2010
Biotechnology
During the 10 years ended December 31, 2009, a total of 1,345 mergers and acquisitions of pharmaceutical assets and pharmaceutical companies were announced, with disclosed prices totaling more than $694 billion, according to DealSearchOnline.com, an on-line publication of Irving Levin Associates. 29 March 2010
Pharmaceutical
Polish pharmaceutical companies Bioton and Polpharma have announced they are investigating the possibility of a merger, with further details to be published later in 2010, reports Business Monitor International. 25 March 2010
Pharmaceutical
The fall in the number of pharmacies in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Bulgaria, the consolidation processes among leading Polish wholesalers and the authorization of the on-line sale of pharmaceuticals in Slovakia were the most important trends and events in distribution in the Central European region in 2009, according to the latest report by PMR, a Polish research and consulting company, titled 'Distribution on the pharmaceutical market in Central Europe 2010. Comparative analysis of Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria.' 24 March 2010
Generics
California, USA-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals International says it has signed a binding agreement to acquire a private, branded generics and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines company located in Brazil for around $28 million. 22 March 2010
Generics
After many months of speculation and behind the scenes activity, Germany's second largest generics drugmaker Ratiopharm (after Hexal, a part of Swiss drug major Novartis' generics unit Sandoz), has been secured by already the world's biggest copy drug company Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (The Pharma Letters passim). 19 March 2010
Pharmaceutical
US drugmaker OSI Pharmaceuticals has formally rejected a $3.5-billion takeover bid from Japanese drug major Astellas, telling shareholders yesterday that the offer was too low and it is seeking alternatives in the form of a 'white knight' rescue. 16 March 2010
Pharmaceutical
New York, USA-based Manhattan Pharmaceuticals says it has completed the previously-announced merger transaction with Ariston Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held, specialty pharmaceutical company. As a result, Ariston became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manhattan on March 12. 14 March 2010
Biotechnology
US health care major Abbott Laboratories has signed a definitive agreement for Abbott to acquire Facet Biotech, enhancing Abbott's early- and mid-stage pharmaceutical pipeline. Abbott will acquire Facet for $27 per share (a 67% premium) in cash for a net transaction value of approximately $450 million, which includes a purchase price of around $722 million less Facet's projected cash and marketable securities at closing of approximately $272 million. 10 March 2010
Pharmaceutical
UK-based Ark Therapeutics' stock tumbled 11.1% yesterday, after the company said it was withdrawing its European filing for its brain cancer drug Cerepro (sitimagene ceradenovec) and considering its options for the future, including a possible sale of the business. 10 March 2010
Generics
UK drug giant GlaxoSmithKline, like many other pharmaceutical majors, is looking to increase its presence in the fast-growing Indian market. "We are looking for acquisitions in India which are attractive to us. We are a very financially strong company," GSK chief executive Andrew Witty told reporters after inaugurating the company's facility for manufacturing albendazole, an anti-parasitic drug, at the Nashik site in India, yesterday. 9 March 2010
Generics
Elanco, the animal health division of US drug major Eli Lilly has signed an agreement to acquire the European rights to a portfolio of certain Pfizer Animal Health products. The products, including vaccines, parasiticides and feed additives, are used in both the production animal and companion animal markets. Terms of the transaction are not disclosed. 9 March 2010
Pharmaceutical
An investigation on behalf of current long-term shareholders in US drugmaker OSI Pharmaceuticals over potential breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of state law in connection with an alleged unfair takeover proposed by Japan's Astellas (The Pharma Letter March 1) has been announced by the advocacy group the Shareholders Foundation. 8 March 2010
Pharmaceutical
US drugmaker Watson Pharmaceuticals has entered into an agreement to expand its Women's Health brand product portfolio with the acquisition of the exclusive US rights to Columbia Laboratories' bioadhesive progesterone gel products currently marketed under the trade names Crinone and Prochieve for the indications of infertility and secondary amenorrhea. 5 March 2010
Generics
Indian drugmaker Strides Arcolab said today that it has entered into an agreement with South Africa-based Aspen Pharmacare, South Africa's largest pharmaceutical company, to acquire the latter's facility in Brazil for $75 million, subject to regulatory approval. 4 March 2010
Generics
With several bidders having dropped by the wayside (including French major Sanofi-Aventis) since Germany's privately-owned generic drugmaker Ratiopharm came up for auction following the suicide of its principal Adolf Merckle - who had accumulated massive debts estimated at $6.8 billion - in January 2009, there seem just three in the line-up as the negotiations move into the final stages; Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, now the global leader in copy medicines, US drug behemoth Pfizer and Iceland's Actavis (in collaboration with Swedish equity firm EQT Partners; The Pharma Letters passim). 3 March 2010
Biotechnology
Japanese drug major Shionogi has entered into a worldwide license agreement to develop and market ospemifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), with QuatRx Pharmaceuticals of the USA. 3 March 2010
Biotechnology
US specialty drugs and medical devices firm Baxter International has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding equity of privately-held UK orthobiological products company ApaTech for total consideration of up to $330 million. 2 March 2010
Pharmaceutical
California, USA-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has entered into an agreement with Spear Pharmaceuticals for rights to commercialize Refissa, a prescription-based topical tretinoin cream used to diminish fine wrinkles and fade irregular pigmentation due to sun damage. 2 March 2010
Pharmaceutical
Despite previous rejections of its advances, Japanese drug major Astellas Pharma this morning said it plans to acquire USA-based OSI Pharmaceuticals for $52.00 per share in cash, or an aggregate of some $3.5 billion on a fully diluted basis, representing a significant premium of over 40% on the closing price of OSI's common stock of $37.02 per share on February 26, 2010, a 53% premium to its three-month average of $34.01 per share, and a 31% premium to its 52-week high of $39.66 per share. Astellas' hostile tender offer to shareholders, which is not subject to any financing conditions, will commence tomorrow, the firm stated. 1 March 2010
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