Novartis acquires a small biotech and its trio of brain drugs

More active in neuroscience than most pharmaceutical firms, Novartis would gain three experimental drugs for depression, schizophrenia and movement disorders through the deal.

By Jacob Bell • Dec. 17, 2020

Pharmacquired: What a surprise deal does for AstraZeneca and Alexion

The $39 billion tie-up would hand AstraZeneca five marketed rare disease drugs, including the pricey medicines Soliris and Ultomiris.

By Jacob Bell • Dec. 16, 2020

Lilly pays $880M for Prevail, pushing further into genetic medicine

The acquisition marks a significant bet by Lilly on gene therapy's potential to address tough-to-treat neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease.

By Jonathan Gardner • Dec. 15, 2020

Allogene, broadening its reach, helps start a biotech in China

The cell therapy developer is the second company in two days to form a joint venture with Overland Pharmaceuticals, which aims to bring new drugs to Asia.

By Ben Fidler • Dec. 15, 2020

AstraZeneca to buy Alexion for $39B

The deal launches AstraZeneca, a company that has been growing mostly because of newer drugs for cancer and diabetes, into the market for rare disease treatments.

By Jacob Bell • Updated Dec. 12, 2020

Lilly's coronavirus drug partner nails down one of biotech's largest IPOs

AbCellera Biologics, a developer of antibody drugs, has raised $483 million through one of the biggest initial public offerings for a biotech in recent years.

By Jacob Bell • Dec. 11, 2020

Bayer strikes a deal with Atara, wading deeper into cell therapy

A pact for two Atara programs continues the German pharma's efforts to use dealmaking to build a gene and cell therapy division.

By Ben Fidler • Dec. 7, 2020

Biogen stocks up on Sage's brain drugs in $3B deal

Biogen and Sage each face challenges. While executives from both companies said the deal could provide a boost, investors don't appear to be sold just yet.

By Jacob Bell • Updated Nov. 30, 2020

How Gilead finally spent its money

This year, the biotech spent about $27 billion trying to become a leader in cancer research. Executives who spoke to BioPharma Dive said there's still work to be done.

By Jacob Bell • Nov. 24, 2020

Amgen cuts Cytokinetics loose after heart drug disappointment

The smaller biotech vowed to push forward, although the pill's inability to prevent heart failure death may complicate its plans to win approval. 

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 23, 2020

Pfizer strikes a deal with newly formed China biotech

The deal, which has Pfizer paying as much as $70 million, is the latest in a series of moves by big pharma companies to forge a stronger position in the world's second-largest drug market.

By Kristin Jensen • Nov. 19, 2020

Japanese drugmaker takes full control of a Roivant biotech

With competition looming over one of its top drugs, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma has been looking for new portfolio additions. It thinks it found one in Urovant Sciences.

By Jacob Bell • Nov. 13, 2020

Lilly backs a biotech's spinout and places a small bet on protein degradation

An alliance with BeyondSpring spinout Seed Therapeutics makes Eli Lilly the latest pharma company to dive into the fast-emerging drug research field. 

By Ben Fidler • Nov. 13, 2020

UCB strikes 2 gene therapy deals to build its pipeline

With patent expirations nearing for a top-selling drug, the Belgian pharma will buy one company and partner with another to add several early-stage projects in neurological diseases.

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 12, 2020

Merck to pay almost $3B for VelosBio, broadening antibody cancer drug push

Buying VelosBio is Merck's second investment in so-called antibody-drug conjugates since September, reflecting the drug class' fast turnaround.

By Ben Fidler • Nov. 5, 2020

Revamp pays off for Kiadis with $358M Sanofi buyout

The Dutch biotech labored for years developing a better stem cell transplant until 2019, when it switched focus to cancer-fighting cell therapies.

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 2, 2020

Novartis eyes its next move in gene therapy

Acquiring Atlas Venture-backed startup Vedere Bio gives Novartis a technology it believes will be valuable for developing treatments for many causes of vision loss and blindness.

By Jacob Bell • Oct. 29, 2020

Bristol Myers taps machine-learning biotech for help finding ALS drugs

The companies hope Insitro's technology can lead to a deeper understanding of how ALS progresses and, in turn, help them discover better treatments.

By Jacob Bell • Oct. 28, 2020

Novartis, Molecular Partners partner to develop a scalable COVID-19 drug

The two Swiss firms will develop protein drugs that are meant to have similar effects as coronavirus antibodies, but would be easier to mass produce.

By Ben Fidler • Oct. 28, 2020

Exact Sciences, challenging Illumina, to buy cancer screening company Thrive

The deal for Thrive comes weeks after Illumina agreed to pay $8 billion for liquid biopsy developer Grail, and reflects expectations of a larger role for cancer tests.

By Nick Paul Taylor , Maria Rachal • Updated Oct. 27, 2020

Bayer to buy AskBio for $2B in bid to become a gene therapy player

Founded by gene therapy pioneer Jude Samulski, AskBio boasts a pipeline of experimental gene therapies as well as its own manufacturing capabilities.

By Ben Fidler • Updated Oct. 26, 2020

Roche joins the COVID-19 antiviral drug race, betting $350M on a startup

A deal with Atea Pharmaceuticals gives Roche rights to an oral antiviral for coronavirus disease that would compete with emerging therapies from Pfizer and Merck.

By Ben Fidler • Oct. 22, 2020

Ex-Medivation team nets $500M to take their new cancer drugmaker to Wall Street

Nuvation Bio, a large oncology startup run by former Medivation executives, is capitalizing on a boom in mergers with so-called special purpose acquisition company, or SPACs.

By Ben Fidler • Oct. 21, 2020

With approval in sight, Vifor expands deal for partner's anti-itch drug

The company could pay as much as $440 million through a new licensing pact that gives it more commercial rights to a therapy developed by Cara Therapeutics.

By Kristin Jensen • Oct. 20, 2020

Lilly wagers $135M on a startup's plan to stop neurodegeneration

The drugmaker is acquiring Disarm Therapeutics, which was formed based on research into a specific enzyme's central role in the breakdown of axons.

By Ben Fidler • Oct. 15, 2020