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
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
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
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
Biotechnology
December 4, 2009
US biotechnology firm Biogen Idec is continuing its fight to gain control of Facet Biotech, increasing its offer to $17.50 per share in cash, representing a rise of $3.00 per share, or 21%, over its previous bid. Biogen said that this is its 'best and final offer,' but was nevertheless reject by the board of Facet. The offer will expire on December 16. 4 December 2009
Generics
The US Federal Trade Commission today announced a proposed consent order settling charges that Watson Pharmaceutical' of Robin Hood Holdings, owner of Arrow Pharmaceuticals, would have harmed consumers by eliminating future competition for important generic drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease notably (cabergoline) and the side effects of chemotherapy (dronabinol). The Commission's order requires the firms to sell assets related to the two drugs to FTC-approved buyers and to ensure the acquirers have the means to compete effectively in the future. 4 December 2009
Biotechnology
UK-based drug giant GlaxoSmithKline says it has completed the extension of its strategic relationship with South Africa's largest pharmaceutical firm, Aspen Pharmacare, and the acquisition of a minority shareholding in the company. 2 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
Biotechnology
Italy-headquartered biopharmaceutical firmBioXell SpA saw its share price gain 15% to 7.10 Swiss francs on the Swiss Exchange: after announcing that it that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Italian rival Cosmo Pharmaceuticals SpA, in a deal valuing the firm at around 41.3 million francs ($40.7 million). Under the terms of the accord, Cosmo will launch a public tender offer for all outstanding shares of BioXell, which was founded in 2002 as a spin-out from Swiss drug major Roche. 18 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
Generics
There now seems to be positive action in the takeover of German generic drugmaker Ratiopharm GmbH, which was put up for sale after the suicide of its principal, Adolf Merckle, in January. He had amassed substantial debts, reported to have been around $6.8 billion, ahead of his action. The firm has attracted at least 10 first-round bids, several people familiar with the procedure told Reuters yesterday, indicating a competitive auction was underway, although the price tag looks a lot lower than the $4.5 billion originally sought by Ratiopharm's owners. 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
Biotechnology
Swedish biotechnology group Biovitrum has signed a deal to buy drug firm Swedish Orphan, jointly owned by holding company Investor AB and private equity firm Priveq. Biovitrum will pay an upfront 3.5 billion Swedish kronor ($493.2 million) on a cash and debt-free basis. 5 November 2009
Biotechnology
With the finalization of its $41.1 billion merger first announced in April with fellow US drug major Schering-Plough late on November 3, the new Merck & Co is up and running and has outlined its global plans and financial expectations The new company becomes the world's second-biggest drugmaker by turnover, catapulting the old Merck from number eight worldwide by sales, and it expects to have a cash flow of some $15 billion to make strategic acquisitions. The new firm's share price jumped 6.4% to $32.79 on the first day of trading. 5 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
Generics
Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the world's largest generic drugmaker, reported higher third-quarter 2009 earnings per share of $0.89, up 16% year-on-year, boosted by the sales of its multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone (glatiramer acetate), and respiratory business. Net sales leapt 25% $3.55 billion. Analysts expected Teva to earn $0.88 a share, excluding items, on revenue of $3.63 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. 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
Biotechnology
With large firms seeking synergies to drive down R&D costs, merger and acquisition deals can aid in the transfer of technical knowledge, scalability and reduce time to market. However, previous M&A periods have not alleviated the productivity crisis. While short term gains emerge from these deals, in the mid- to long-term, R&D innovation, organic growth, and internal drivers are still key facet's behind creating a successful company and providing an organization with sustainability. 30 October 2009
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