Deals
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Sanofi buys Synthorx for $2.5B in prelude to Hudson's strategy rollout
At a hefty 172% premium for a company with little clinical data, the ambitious buyout comes a day before new CEO Paul Hudson will unveil his plans for the French pharma.
By Andrew Dunn • Dec. 09, 2019 -
Merck's ArQule buy showcases pharma appetite for targeted cancer drugs
The biotech's experimental drug targeting the BTK protein is of particular interest to Merck & Co., which is acquiring ArQule at more than a 100% premium.
By Jacob Bell • Dec. 09, 2019 -
Dive Awards
Executive of the Year: Josh Bilenker, Loxo Oncology
Along with other recently acquired cancer companies like Ignyta and Array, Loxo proved out a drug development model that Bilenker likens to baseball's "moneyball" thesis.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Dec. 09, 2019 -
Dive Awards
Deal of the Year: Bristol-Myers Squibb buys Celgene
Whether or not the $74 billion acquisition succeeds for Bristol-Myers, its impact on biotech will be wide-reaching by erasing Celgene, one of the industry's most active dealmakers.
By Andrew Dunn • Dec. 09, 2019 -
Dive Awards
Disruptor of the Year: The Federal Trade Commission
A more active FTC, suggested by the surprise delay for Roche's takeover of Spark, could slow dealmaking in an industry that relies on big pharma buyouts.
By Jonathan Gardner • Dec. 09, 2019 -
We're not for sale, Alexion executives declare
After meeting with hedge fund Elliott Advisors, the biotech said its product switching strategy and drug pipeline will drive more value than seeking buyers.
By Jonathan Gardner • Dec. 06, 2019 -
Astellas joins gene therapy race with $3B Audentes buy
Manufacturing was a key draw for Astellas, which gains access to a plant owned by Audentes that can support clinical and commercial production.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Dec. 03, 2019 -
Neurocrine, Xenon ink R&D deal targeting rare form of epilepsy
Working to expand its pipeline beyond the tardive dyskinesia drug Ingrezza, Neurocrine will gain access to one clinical and several preclinical treatments.
By Andrew Dunn • Dec. 02, 2019 -
Medicines Co. deal caps pharma's reentry into field it once abandoned
Large pharma companies like Novartis, Roche and J&J are buying back into RNAi, a technology that several retreated from in the early 2010s.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Nov. 26, 2019 -
What Novartis needs to do to make Medicines Co. deal a success
Research, sales and payer teams must execute for inclisiran to succeed in a market where would-be rivals Repatha and Praluent have faltered.
By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 25, 2019 -
Novartis buys Medicines Co. in $9.7B bet on cholesterol drug
Acquiring The Medicines Company gives Novartis access to inclisiran, a lipid-lowering drug likely to win approval but facing uncertain commercial prospects.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Nov. 24, 2019 -
Alkermes follows up restructuring with Rodin acqusition
Worth up to $950 million, the deal will give Alkermes access to a preclinical pipeline aimed at diseases rooted in disrupted synapses like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 18, 2019 -
Dicerna links up with Novo in its 5th, likely final, liver-focused R&D deal
The Danish drugmaker will use the biotech's RNAi platform to develop therapies for diseases like NASH, diabetes and obesity.
By Andrew Dunn • Nov. 18, 2019 -
Roche wagers $1.4B that Promedior has its next big fibrosis drug
Promedior's main drug targets a lung disease known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and could help Roche once orphan exclusivity runs out on Esbriet.
By Jacob Bell • Nov. 15, 2019 -
Sarepta brings in more gene therapies with StrideBio deal
The deal adds four more neuromuscular candidates to the Exondys maker's already-rich pipeline.
By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 14, 2019 -
Merck wants to know if taking out cellular trash can treat Alzheimer's
The big pharma is acquiring Calporta Therapeutics to test whether drugs that promote lysosome function can combat neurodegenerative disorders.
By Jacob Bell • Nov. 13, 2019 -
Amgen's China ambitions become clear with BeiGene deal
Oncology-focused deal will see the biotech take a 21% stake in a Chinese partner and share commercialization of three drugs.
By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 01, 2019 -
Roivant, Sumitomo alliance to target cystic fibrosis gene therapy
The companies unveiled the previously unnamed Spirovant as the fifth subsidiary sold to Sumitomo in last month's $3 billion deal.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 31, 2019 -
Sanofi pays $315 million to settle Lemtrada go-slow claims
The administrator of a contingent value right tied to Sanofi's buyout of Genzyme argued the pharma slowed Lemtrada's progress to dodge billions in potential payouts.
By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 31, 2019 -
Roche takes aim at hepatitis B, striking R&D deal with Dicerna
The Swiss pharma will pay $200 million while lining up to $1.5 billion in milestones to gain access to a Phase 1 drug and Dicerna's RNAi technology.
By Andrew Dunn • Oct. 31, 2019 -
What to make of Gilead's latest NASH deal
Gilead and Glympse Bio will test whether synthetic biomarkers can show how badly damaged patients' livers are. It's a partnership that hints at the biotech's commitment to NASH.
By Jacob Bell • Oct. 28, 2019 -
ColumnPharmacquired: Eylea could be in trouble, but that doesn't make Regeneron a buyer
A rival medicine from Novartis and potential changes to Medicare aren't likely enough for Regeneron to reverse its decades-long aversion to M&A.
By Jacob Bell • Oct. 25, 2019 -
GSK hands 2 of its less profitable vaccines to Bavarian Nordic
The deal, worth about $335 million upfront, will help GSK simplify its supply chain and allow it to reinvest in higher growth areas, according to the company.
By Jacob Bell • Oct. 21, 2019 -
Sanofi investing in gene therapy as R&D focus turns toward rare disease
R&D chief John Reed told BioPharma Dive Sanofi is retrofitting a vaccine facility in France to produce the viral vectors needed to deliver gene therapies.
By Andrew Dunn • Oct. 17, 2019 -
Alexion bids for a smaller version of itself, spurring concerns about the FTC
With the Roche-Spark deal in limbo, analysts are concerned that companies with overlapping pipelines may have trouble completing acquisitions.
By Jacob Bell • Oct. 16, 2019
