Deals
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AbbVie
AbbVie bets big on a gene therapy for eye diseases
The company has agreed to pay $370 million, and possibly north of $1 billion more, to gain access to a Regenxbio treatment targeting wet AMD and other eye conditions.
By Jacob Bell • Sept. 13, 2021 -
Courtesy of Sanofi
Sanofi to buy Kadmon for $1.9B, extending deal streak
The acquisition took some analysts by surprise as Sanofi has recently targeted specialty drugs, not general medicines like Kadmon's transplant treatment.
By Ben Fidler • Sept. 08, 2021 -
Roche
Roche bets big on off-the-shelf cancer cell therapy with Adaptimmune deal
Long a bystander in the race to develop so-called allogeneic treatments, the cancer drugmaking giant has joined the fray with a wide-ranging alliance that could be worth up to $3 billion.
By Jonathan Gardner • Sept. 07, 2021 -
Lilly puts more money into protein degradation
The pharma has struck its second research pact focused on drugs that break down harmful proteins in as many years, this time with California biotech Lycia Therapeutics.
By Jacob Bell • Aug. 25, 2021 -
Jeenah Moon via Getty Images
Pfizer stocks cancer drug pipeline with $2.3B deal for Trillium
The acquisition reflects growing industry interest in the cancer-linked protein targeted by Trillium's drugs, most notably shown by Gilead's acquisition of Forty Seven last year.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Aug. 23, 2021 -
Illumina closes Grail takeover despite pending FTC trial
The testing giant's decision to move ahead without sign-off from U.S. regulators and an EU investigation ongoing is a "maverick move," said Evercore analysts, as there's a chance Illumina may have to unwind the takeover.
By Nick Paul Taylor • Aug. 19, 2021 -
Adeline Kon/BioPharma Dive
Deep DiveBiotech M&A tracker: After hitting new heights, deals have slowed down. Here are the latest.
Grifols is acquiring a large stake in Biotest, a developer of plasma-derived therapies, from Tiancheng Pharmaceutical Holdings in a deal worth 1.1 million euros.
By Jacob Bell , Julia Himmel • UPDATED: Sept. 17, 2021 at 9:53 a.m. -
Bayer AG
How Bayer lured a biotech away from an IPO and into a buyout
Vividion Therapeutics was headed toward an IPO earlier this year, but the company's co-founder said Bayer’s $1.5 billion offer ended up being a more attractive option.
By Shoshana Dubnow • Aug. 05, 2021 -
Courtesy of Sanofi
Sanofi bets $3.2B on mRNA with deal to buy Translate Bio
The acquisition is a sign of how more and more large pharmaceutical companies view messenger RNA as an essential drugmaking technology.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Aug. 03, 2021 -
Bluebird preps for split by selling manufacturing plant to well-funded startup
The startup manufacturing specialist National Resilience, which raised $800 million when it launched last year, will pay Bluebird $110 million for the North Carolina facility, bringing its North American network up to 10.
By Kristin Jensen • July 29, 2021 -
Amgen Inc.
Amgen pays $900M for Teneobio and bets bigger on next-gen antibody drugs
The acquisition is the third Amgen has made since March and broadens its ability to develop bispecific antibodies, a drug class of intense interest to big biotech.
By Ben Fidler • July 28, 2021 -
Elizabeth Regan / Industry Dive
An AstraZeneca spinout scores a buyout option from Arena
The potential acquisition marks a fast turnaround for Aristea, one of several biotechs formed from programs AstraZeneca decided not to advance internally.
By Jonathan Gardner • July 27, 2021 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
Regeneron, AstraZeneca team up on targeted drugs for obesity
After screening 650,000 people, Regeneron unearthed a mutation associated with lower weight. AstraZeneca aims to help the biotech make a drug based on its findings.
By Jonathan Gardner • July 27, 2021 -
Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
AstraZeneca deal for Alexion to close soon as UK regulator clears acquisition
The go-ahead from British regulators was the last hurdle standing in the way of the two companies wrapping up their $39 billion deal announced last year.
By Kristin Jensen • July 14, 2021 -
Lilly wagers up to $1B on a biotech's plan for a new type of insulin
Rival Novo Nordisk has jumped ahead in developing an injectable drug that responds to changes in blood sugar. An acquisition of Protomer Therapeutics could help Lilly close the gap.
By Jonathan Gardner • July 14, 2021 -
Permission granted by Biogen
Biogen chases rivals with another bet on emerging class of multiple sclerosis drugs
A deal with Innocare gives Biogen a second therapy for MS that targets a protein called BTK, an approach several other competing drugmakers are pursuing, too.
By Ben Fidler • UPDATED: July 14, 2021 at 9:34 a.m. -
Novo Nordisk
Novo, in rare deal, buys rights to Prothena amyloidosis treatment
The Danish pharma will pay $100 million in the near term and as much as $1.2 billion overall for an antibody Prothena is developing for ATTR amyloidosis.
By Ned Pagliarulo • July 12, 2021 -
Warren Little via Getty Images
GSK returns to brain drugs with major biotech deal
The pharmaceutical giant best known for its work in cancer, HIV and respiratory illnesses is now paying at least $700 million to get its hands on two experimental drugs from Alector.
By Jacob Bell • July 02, 2021 -
Nestlé joins Seres in deal to market microbiome drug
The health science unit at Nestlé may pay more than $500 million to secure rights in the U.S. and Canada for SER-109, a spore-filled capsule meant for patients with recurrent C. diff infections.
By Kristin Jensen • July 01, 2021 -
Nasdaq
Deals surge, returns slip: takeaways from a record half for biotech IPOs
Biotech initial public offerings could break records set just last year. But their average size and performance are declining, which some say might reflect an overdue correction.
By Ben Fidler • June 30, 2021 -
Getty Images
With Alzheimer's drugs in focus, Bristol Myers rejoins the hunt
The pharmaceutical giant is spending $80 million for an exclusive license to an experimental drug developed by Prothena.
By Jacob Bell • June 24, 2021 -
Courtesy of GSK Flickr page
GSK outlines ambitious 10-year plan, but hits investors' near-term outlook
Under pressure from activist investors, the British drugmaker set lofty sales targets for a "new GSK" after a planned exit from consumer health. But shareholders will first face a dividend cut.
By Jonathan Gardner • June 23, 2021 -
Permission granted by Bristol-Myers Squibb
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 -
Getty / Edited by BioPharma Dive
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 -
Warren Little via Getty Images
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
