Lilly partners with Sosei to develop drugs aimed at a key family of proteins

The pharma will pay Sosei $37 million upfront to discover new candidates for diabetes and metabolic diseases that target G protein-coupled receptors.

By Christopher Newman • Dec. 16, 2022

Nimbus CEO Jeb Keiper on negotiating a $4B deal and building an unorthodox biotech startup

Days after inking one of the largest deals for an unapproved drug, the CEO spoke with BioPharma Dive about the company’s unusual origins and decision to remain private — for now. 

By Ben Fidler • Dec. 16, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Biotech dealmaking

Acquisitions of biotech companies have picked up in recent quarters, suggesting depressed valuations may be facilitating deal conversations. Read this trendline for a look at the factors impacting M&A. 

By BioPharma Dive staff

GSK gives Wave a lift with genetic medicine deal

A four-year agreement between the companies comes with $170 million in cash and equity for Wave, which in recent years has dealt with clinical setbacks.

By Kristin Jensen • Dec. 14, 2022

Takeda to pay $4B for Nimbus’ TYK2 drug

In one of the largest single-asset deals in recent history, the Japanese pharma is acquiring a medicine Nimbus claims can top Bristol Myers’ recently approved psoriasis drug Sotyktu.  

By Ben Fidler • Dec. 13, 2022

Amgen to buy Horizon in year’s biggest biotech deal

After outlasting rival suitors Sanofi and J&J in deal talks, Amgen agreed to a deal that values the Ireland-based maker of rare and inflammatory disease drugs at about $28 billion.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Updated Dec. 12, 2022

Gilead buys into multiple myeloma cell therapy with Arcellx deal

The company is paying Arcellx $225 million, on top of a $100 million equity investment, for rights to a CAR-T therapy that’s currently in mid-stage testing as a treatment for the blood cancer.

By Jacob Bell • Dec. 9, 2022

Vertex invests in a rare disease drug and its developer

The big biotech is paying Entrada Therapeutics $250 million upfront to grab rights to an experimental treatment for myotonic dystrophy type 1 in the latest bid to build its pipeline.  

By Jacob Bell • Dec. 8, 2022

TherapeuticsMD to offload drugs to Australia’s Mayne after failed buyout

After a private equity takeover unraveled this summer, the women’s health company is selling its drug portfolio to Mayne Pharma in a $153 million deal.

By Delilah Alvarado • Dec. 5, 2022

J&J drops out of hunt for Horizon, leaving Sanofi and Amgen to bid

The two remaining suitors said they would make cash bids if they move forward with offers, for which they must declare “firm intent” by Jan. 10 under Irish takeover rules.

By Christopher Newman • Dec. 5, 2022

Pfizer, Roivant set up new company around inflammation drug

The drug is currently in mid-stage testing as a treatment for ulcerative colitis. If it continues to advance, it could be the first approved therapy aimed at a protein known as TL1A, a target multiple other companies are pursuing. 

By Jacob Bell • Dec. 1, 2022

Large pharmas probe takeover of Horizon Therapeutics

The Dublin-headquartered drugmaker confirmed it is in "highly preliminary" talks with Amgen, J&J and Sanofi, although it cautioned no offer may ever materialize.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Updated Nov. 30, 2022

AstraZeneca reveals its cell therapy ambitions with deal for startup

The British drugmaker will pay as much as $320 million to acquire Neogene Therapeutics, a developer of cell-based treatments for solid tumors — its first significant investment in the field.

By Ben Fidler • Nov. 29, 2022

Merck to buy blood cancer biotech Imago for $1.35B

The deal is Merck’s second notable acquisition in the past year and a half, part of a strategy to diversify its pipeline beyond the top-selling Keytruda.

By Christopher Newman • Nov. 21, 2022

Regeneron teams up with CytomX to develop dual-targeting cancer drugs

Regeneron will pay CytomX $30 million to try to create bispecific antibody drugs that are safer and have a wider reach than existing treatments.  

By Christopher Newman • Nov. 17, 2022

Jnana deepens ties with Roche and grabs a new round of funding

The startup, developing drugs that target an untapped class of proteins called solute carriers, has now formed two lucrative alliances with the Swiss drugmaker since 2020.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Nov. 15, 2022

Narcan developer to be acquired by Indivior

The deal, which could carry a total value of roughly $145 million, is in large part focused on a nasal formulation of the opioid overdose drug nalmefene.

By Jacob Bell • Nov. 14, 2022

Centerview grows role as go-to adviser for biopharma dealmaking

Over the past several years, the investment advisory firm has served as a financial adviser on biopharma acquisitions worth more than $200 billion in total, with the latest announced Monday.

By Jacob Bell • Nov. 8, 2022

Viatris to buy two eye drug developers in deals worth up to $750M

The generics company is acquiring Oyster Point Pharma and the privately held Famy Life Sciences in a move aimed at creating an ophthalmology business.

By Delilah Alvarado • Updated Nov. 7, 2022

Artiva cancels IPO plans and cuts a deal with Affimed

With public offerings difficult to pull off, Artiva is focusing its energy on developing a cancer drug with the German biotech.

By Gwendolyn Wu • Nov. 3, 2022

J&J to buy heart device maker Abiomed for $16.6B

The deal is the biggest by J&J since its $30 billion buyout of Actelion in 2017, and comes as the company works to split its consumer health business from its pharma and medtech units. 

By Elise Reuter • Nov. 1, 2022

Astellas takes stake in gene therapy developer Taysha

Already an investor in gene therapy, the Japanese pharma will buy 15% of the Texas biotech’s stock and gain options to two gene therapies for central nervous system disorders.

By Delilah Alvarado • Oct. 24, 2022

Myovant agrees to sell after buyer ups price

Sumitomo Pharma, a Japanese drug company that already owns 52% of Myovant, is now offering to buy all the remaining shares for $27 apiece in a deal that values the biotech at $2.9 billion.

By Jacob Bell • Oct. 24, 2022

AGTC yields to biotech downturn with gene therapy buyout deal

The biotech is the latest in a growing list of genetic medicine developers to sell themselves near record stock lows amid a challenging funding environment.  

By Ben Fidler • Oct. 24, 2022

AbbVie to buy UK biotech DJS for $255M

The deal gives AbbVie an experimental medicine for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, as well as a platform for designing antibody drugs that can target proteins known as GPCRs.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 20, 2022

J&J, flush with cash, says high valuations remain a dealmaking hurdle

“We don’t have to do anything out of desperation,” said CFO Joseph Wolk on J&J’s second quarter earnings call. J&J holds $34 billion in cash and other liquid assets. 

By Christopher Newman • Oct. 18, 2022