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
Today's issue
Refine Search
Latest Mergers & Acquisitions News & Features
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
UK biotech Forcefield Therapeutics has launched to develop drugs to protect heart function by arresting the loss of cardiomyocytes following myocardial infarction. 25 April 2022
Biotechnology
Deal making featured in last week’s news, but it was unravelling rather than making. First was Bristol Myers Squibb and partner Nektar deciding to discontinue the development of blockbuster drug Opdivo in combination with bempegaldesleukin (bempeg), under a deal that involved an upfront of $1.85 to Nektar. Sweden’s BioArctic suffered a setback last Wednesday, when it revealed that AbbVie was walking away from a collaboration on ABBV-0895, a candidate for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. On the M&A front, Regeneron last Tuesday announced a $250 million acquisition of Checkmate Pharma along with its melanoma drug candidate vidutolimod. Elsewhere, Japan’s Astellas revealed last Friday that it was booking an impairment was after a number of setbacks in gene therapy. 24 April 2022
Generics
Illinois, USA-based Long Grove Pharmaceuticals, founded in 2019 by strategic health care investor Water Street Healthcare Partners, will begin shipping its first products in mid-2022. 22 April 2022
Biotechnology
At the same time as announcing strategic financing agreements worth $260 million, USA-based BioXcel Therapeutics has announced the formation of wholly-owned subsidiary OnkosXcel Therapeutics to develop transformative medicines in oncology. 20 April 2022
Pharmaceutical
Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries Julphar, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the Middle East and Africa, has announced its Strategy 2030 to drive transformation through sustainable growth and deliver enhanced value for all stakeholders. 20 April 2022
Generics
The US Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday said it required – as a condition of London-listed Jordanian drugmaker Hikma Pharmaceuticals’ $375 million acquisition of Custopharm announced in September 2021 – that Custopharm’s parent company retain and transfer Custopharm’s assets related to the corticosteroid drug triamcinolone acetonide, or TCA, to another subsidiary, Long Grove Pharmaceuticals. 20 April 2022
Biotechnology
US biotech Regeneron Pharmaceuticals hit the M&A market today, announcing a definitive agreement to acquire Checkmate Pharmaceuticals at an all-cash price of $10.50 per share of Checkmate common stock. 19 April 2022
Biotechnology
Among notable news last week, US biotech Seagen won a $41.8 million award through a US District Court ruling in its patent dispute with Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo over cancer drug Enhertu. USA-based Veru scored a big hit with Phase III data for its COVID-19 treatment candidate sabizabulin. On the M&A front, UK pharma major GlaxoSmithKline last Wednesday announced a $1.9 billion acquisition of Sierra Oncology, along with its myelofibrosis candidate momelotinib. Also announcing an M&A deal last Wednesday was specialty pharma company Halozyme Therapeutics, with a $960 million bid for Antares Pharma. 17 April 2022
Pharmaceutical
Shares in specialty pharmaceutical company Antares Pharma were up by nearly half at lunchtime on Wednesday with the news that the firm is to be acquired by Halozyme Therapeutics. 13 April 2022
Biotechnology
US biopharma company Sierra Oncology saw its shares leap nearly 37% to $ 54.05 in pre-market trading today, as it was revealed that it has agreed to be acquired by UK pharma major GlaxoSmithKline. 13 April 2022
Biotechnology
Global investment firm Carlyle announced today that it has agreed to acquire Abingworth, a transatlantic life sciences investment firm with over $2 billion in assets under management (AUM), to bolster Carlyle’s leading global healthcare franchise and enter the biotech financing arena. 11 April 2022
Biotechnology
Among regulatory news last week, the US Food and Drug Administration on Monday advised Alnylam Pharmaceuticals of a three-month delay to its review of the New Drug Application for amyloidosis drug vutrisiran. AstraZeneca released strong results from a Phase IIb trial of its cholesterol lowerer AZD8233. Troubled US biotech bluebird bio last Tuesday announced a significant restructuring program, which would involve a 30% reduction in its workforce. US pharma giant Pfizer announced its first M&A deal this year, agreeing a $525 million bid for RSV vaccine developer ReViral. Also, Biogen reacted angrily to the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to limit coverage of its Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm. 10 April 2022
Pharmaceutical
The Novo Holdings portfolio company ReViral has been acquired by US pharma giant Pfizer for up to $525 million in total dieal value. 7 April 2022
Pharmaceutical
An overview of a trend that may - or may not - be here to stay in the biopharmaceutical sector. 1 April 2022
Pharmaceutical
An acquisition in the biosimilars space was the biggest deal announced in biopharma M&A during March. 1 April 2022
Biosimilars
Munich, Germany-based Formycon shares rose almost 12% to 62.40 euros yesterday, after it revealed that it has agreed to merge its development activities in the area of biosimilars through a long term strategic partnership with ATHOS AG. 30 March 2022
Pharmaceutical
Global investment firms PAI Partners and Carlyle today announced that they have agreed to acquire UK-based Theramex, a global specialty pharmaceuticals company focused on women’s health, from CVC Capital Partners VI. 28 March 2022
Pharmaceutical
An Expert View from Arda Ural, EY Americas Industry Markets Leader, Health Sciences and Wellness. 25 March 2022
Biotechnology
In the latest in a series of life sciences SPAC mergers, Ligand Pharmaceuticals is to use the approach to hive off its antibody business. 24 March 2022
Biotechnology
A business of Fujifilm Holdings has announced it will buy USA-based recombinant protein company Shenandoah Biotechnology for an undisclosed amount. 23 March 2022
Sign up to receive email updates
Join industry leaders for a daily roundup of biotech & pharma news
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2024 | Headless Content Management with Blaze