Deals

Bristol Myers partners with Eisai in $650M deal for targeted cancer antibody

The U.S. drugmaker is the latest to invest large sums of money in antibody-drug conjugates, following recent deals by Gilead, Merck and AstraZeneca.

By Jonathan Gardner • June 18, 2021

CRISPR, with new partner, to develop gene editing therapies for ALS, nerve disorder

A deal with biotech startup Capsida, which recently raised $140 million, gives CRISPR access to a Caltech technology that aims to improve the delivery of genetic medicines.

By Jonathan Gardner • June 15, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Trendline

The BioPharma Dive Outlook on 2021

M&A appears to be ticking higher after a slow 2020, while a series of setbacks has renewed questions around gene therapy. Several key clinical trial readouts also loom. Here's what to watch in biotech and pharma this year.

By BioPharma Dive staff

GSK pays iTeos $625M to join race for new type of cancer immunotherapy

The British drugmaker has become the latest large pharmaceutical company to make a sizable investment in a drug targeting TIGIT, following deals from Bristol Myers Squibb, Gilead and others.

By Ben Fidler • June 14, 2021

'The lights are no longer green': Antitrust regulators reassess pharma deals

The FTC and its counterparts abroad are rethinking their approach to drugmaker acquisitions. Past scrutiny offers clues to where they may look next.

By Jonathan Gardner • June 10, 2021

Bayer buys a biotech and its offshoot in bet on radiopharmaceuticals

The German pharma will add an experimental prostate cancer medicine to its pipeline through the deal, which reflects growing industry interest in the field.

By Ned Pagliarulo • June 03, 2021

MorphoSys to buy Constellation in $1.7B deal, aided by unusual funding

Royalty Pharma will effectively fund MorphoSys' acquisition of the cancer biotech through a separate agreement to buy MorphoSys' shares of royalties on several marketed and experimental medicines. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • June 02, 2021

Biogen licenses a stroke drug from Japanese drugmaker TMS

The drug, which Biogen had an option to license, is one of two in the biotech's pipeline for a condition that has had few new treatments developed. 

By Kristin Jensen • May 12, 2021

Ginkgo Bioworks to go public through $2.5B SPAC deal

Bellco Capital, led by Kite Pharma and Allogene Therapeutics founder Arie Belldegrun, will co-sponsor the transaction alongside Eagle Equity Partners.

By Ned Pagliarulo • May 11, 2021

CSL closes deal for UniQure gene therapy in hopeful sign for M&A

Completion of the buyout eases concerns the arrangement might be held up by the FTC, which has signaled it will step up scrutiny of life sciences deals.  

By Kristin Jensen • May 06, 2021

Roivant valued at $7B in blank-check merger, bucking SPAC slowdown

Vivek Ramaswamy's unusual biotech holding company will go public through a deal with Montes Archimedes Acquisition Corp. that nets Roivant $611 million.

By Ben Fidler • May 03, 2021

Vertex bets another $900M on CRISPR treatment for blood diseases

Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics are tweaking their partnership so that the larger biotech will cover 60% of the costs — and receive 60% of the future profits — related to a gene editing therapy for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.

By Jacob Bell • April 20, 2021

Relay buys AI startup to aid unorthodox drug discovery quest

The $85 million acquisition is an unusual and early step for a company like Relay, which went public last July and only just began clinical testing of its lead drugs last year. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • April 16, 2021

US clears AstraZeneca buyout of Alexion amid closer scrutiny of biopharma M&A

FTC authorization of the $39 billion deal — the sector's largest in 2020 — may ease concerns over the agency's plans to more intently inspect pharma deals. 

By Jonathan Gardner • April 16, 2021

Thermo Fisher to buy research contractor PPD in $17B deal

The deal values PPD at $47.50 a share, or about 24% over the company's closing price on April 13 — the day before The Wall Street Journal reported word of the planned acquisition.

By Kristin Jensen • April 15, 2021

Cancer biotech Tango to go public through $350M SPAC deal

Gilead, which expanded its research collaboration with Tango last year, will take part in a related private investment along with more than a dozen high-profile backers.

By Kristin Jensen • April 14, 2021

Sanofi buys an mRNA startup in another bet on 'off-the-shelf' cell therapy

Tidal Therapeutics is the second biotech developing more convenient cell therapies that the French pharma has recently acquired as part of a broader expansion in oncology.

By Ben Fidler • April 09, 2021

Amgen acquires a small biotech and its inflammatory disease research

The deal for Rodeo Therapeutics follows closely on the heels of the large biotech's buyout of cancer drug developer Five Prime.

By Kristin Jensen • March 31, 2021

FTC challenges Illumina's $7B Grail buyout amid new scrutiny of life science deals

The commission said the acquisition will "harm competition in the U.S. market" for early cancer detection tests.

By Nick Paul Taylor • March 31, 2021

Global Blood takes on more sickle cell drugs through Sanofi deal

Global Blood says the two acquired programs could complement Oxbryta, its marketed sickle cell drug that gained approval in late 2019.

By Jacob Bell • March 16, 2021

FTC joins overseas antitrust regulators in reexamination of pharma M&A

Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, the commission's acting chair, indicated future reviews could look beyond measures of company size and market share.

By Jonathan Gardner • March 16, 2021

Gilead, Merck combine forces in HIV

The rivals are now working together on oral and injectable treatments that combine their closely watched experimental drugs lenacapavir and islatravir.

By Jacob Bell • March 15, 2021

Taking a page from Celgene, Takeda builds and buys a cancer biotech

An agreement to acquire Maverick Therapeutics for up to $525 million has roots in a plan hatched by Takeda to emulate elements of Celgene's dealmaking strategy.

By Ben Fidler • March 09, 2021

Biotech's deal refusals led to pricey buyout by Merck

Pandion rejected multiple offers by Merck to partner on or acquire the small biotech's research before accepting a $1.85 billion acquisition bid last month.

By Ned Pagliarulo • March 05, 2021

Amgen, with rare buyout, pays $1.9B for cancer biotech Five Prime

The acquisition marks a dramatic turnaround for Five Prime, which has in recent years struggled through setbacks, executive departures and layoffs.

By Ned Pagliarulo • March 04, 2021

Doudna-founded biotech Caribou raises fresh funds to fuel gene editing pipeline

The CRISPR biotech raised $115 million in a Series C financing aimed at advancing its engineered cell therapy research. 

By Kristin Jensen • March 03, 2021