Deals

Roche buys Inflazome as pharma interest in targeting inflammation grows

The wide-ranging role of an inflammatory protein known as NLRP3 has made it a hot drug target — particularly for Roche, which has now bought two startups developing drugs to block it.

By Ben Fidler • Sept. 21, 2020

Illumina buys spinout Grail, betting $8B on the future of cancer screening

The acquisition, announced shortly before a planned IPO by Grail, establishes sequencing giant Illumina as a major player in the chase to use blood tests to catch cancers early. Wall Street, however, isn't sold on the deal.

By Nick Paul Taylor , Greg Slabodkin • Sept. 21, 2020

Merck pays Seattle Genetics $1.7B as antibody cancer drugs continue comeback

Merck's deal for Seattle Genetics' antibody-drug conjugate comes as Gilead agreed to acquire rival developer Immunomedics in the biotech industry's largest buyout of 2020.

By Ben Fidler • Sept. 14, 2020

Gilead to buy cancer drugmaker Immunomedics for $21B

The acquisition caps an active year of dealmaking for Gilead, which under CEO Daniel O'Day aims to become as well known for its cancer drugs as its HIV and hepatitis C medicines. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • UPDATED: Sept. 14, 2020 at 9:39 a.m.

AbbVie wagers up to $2B on a Chinese biotech's cancer drug

The licensing deal hands AbbVie exclusive rights to a drug targeting CD47, a protein that has caught the attention of drugmakers like Gilead and Celgene.

By Jacob Bell • Sept. 04, 2020

Gilead deal reignites optimism in a cancer biotech

A year after Jounce Therapeutics and Celgene ended a wide-ranging alliance, Gilead has teamed up with the Massachusetts biotech.

By Jacob Bell • Sept. 01, 2020

Ionis, changing its strategy, reels its spinoff back in

Reversing course on plans to rely on others to sell its drugs, the biotech will spend about half a billion dollars to acquire its own spinoff, Akcea.

By Jacob Bell • Aug. 31, 2020

Nestlé buys the rest of Aimmune, aiming to boost a struggling peanut allergy treatment

The Swiss firm will take over the launch of Aimmune's Palforzia, sales of which have disappointed since its approval in January.  

By Ben Fidler • Aug. 31, 2020

Proteostasis bows out of cystic fibrosis drugmaking through Yumanity merger

The biotech's plans to challenge Vertex Pharmaceuticals have fallen short, leading to a merger with a neuroscience-focused startup. 

By Jacob Bell • Aug. 24, 2020

Momenta shift to new drugs pays off with $6.5B buyout by J&J

Once a leader in biosimilar development, Momenta pivoted toward developing treatments for autoimmune diseases, including one that drew J&J's interest.

By Jonathan Gardner • Aug. 19, 2020

Lilly doubles down on Innovent cancer drug in immunotherapy push

The Indianapolis pharma paid $200 million to gain most of the rights to Tyvyt, a checkpoint blocker that could help it compete with Merck, Roche and others.

By Ben Fidler • Aug. 18, 2020

Gilead expands Tango alliance, continuing a busy year of cancer deals

A $145 million payment to broaden a partnership with Tango Therapeutics is the latest in a series of deals Gilead has made to grow its oncology business.

By Jonathan Gardner • Aug. 18, 2020

Aiming for immunotherapy boost, Bristol Myers deepens ties with Dragonfly

For $475 million in near-term cash, Bristol Myers will get access to an immunotherapy based on technology that's drawn interest from rival Merck.

By Ben Fidler • Aug. 17, 2020

Sanofi, seeking control of key drug, to buy Principia for $3.7B

The acquisition significantly increases Sanofi's bet on Principia's chief asset, an experimental drug for multiple sclerosis now in late-stage testing.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Aug. 17, 2020

CureVac grabs $213M in US IPO, adding to year's record pace

Biotechs have raised nearly $10 billion from 45 initial public offerings this year, with CureVac's fueling the development of a coronavirus vaccine.

By Ben Fidler • Aug. 14, 2020

Bayer, contrasting pharma peers, builds up women's health business with $425M deal

Acquiring KaNDy Therapeutics hands Bayer an experimental menopause drug that, according to the company, could become a blockbuster product.

By Jacob Bell • Aug. 11, 2020

A hedge fund bets on a biotech startup to bring new drugs to China

The unusual startup already has partial rights to multiple drugs developed by MyoKardia and affiliates of BridgeBio, and plans to acquire many more. 

By Ben Fidler • Aug. 11, 2020

Biogen makes a billion-dollar bet on Parkinson's drugs

In one of its biggest deals to date, Biogen plans to take an equity stake in Denali Therapeutics to gain access to new treatments for Parkinson's disease.

By Jacob Bell • Aug. 06, 2020

US to pay $1B to stock up on J&J's coronavirus vaccine

The agreement, which would supply the U.S. with 100 million doses of J&J's experimental shot, is the latest in a string of deals the country has reached with vaccine developers.

By Kristin Jensen • Aug. 05, 2020

Sangamo, Novartis team up to develop genetic medicines for autism, other brain disorders

The deal, which hands Sangamo $75 million upfront, is the second pharma partnership the biotech has signed this year to focus on brain disease drugs.

By Kristin Jensen • July 30, 2020

AstraZeneca turns again to Daiichi Sankyo for a major cancer drug deal

The British pharma will pay Daiichi $1 billion to split rights to an experimental antibody-drug conjugate in a deal similar to the 2019 agreement that bought it the breast cancer drug Enhertu.

By Ned Pagliarulo • July 27, 2020

Moderna, pacing a global vaccine race, loses a key patent fight

A patent board ruled that Arbutus Biopharma invented a technology Moderna uses to deliver its vaccines, which may have implications for its industry-leading coronavirus shot. 

By Jonathan Gardner • July 24, 2020

EQRx, gearing up for a price war with big pharma, buys two cancer drugs

The unusual startup aims to speed potential rivals to blockbuster medicines Ibrance and Tagrisso to market and price them at a "small fraction" of the cost, CEO Alexis Borisy told BioPharma Dive.

By Ben Fidler • July 23, 2020

Gilead adds to string of cancer drug deals with Tizona stake

An upfront payment of $300 million gives Gilead a nearly 50% stake in Tizona Therapeutics and the exclusive option to acquire it later, depending on how promising the biotech's immunotherapy looks.

By Jacob Bell • July 21, 2020

GSK invests in mRNA vaccines through deal with CureVac

While CureVac's coronavirus work is excluded from the deal, GSK said the biotech's platform should complement its existing vaccine technology and provide greater access to manufacturing.

By Jacob Bell • July 20, 2020