Gilead puts $375M into Arcus in latest push to broaden cancer business

The alliance, inked two months after a $5 billion buyout of cancer biotech Forty Seven, extends Gilead's effort to establish itself as a major player in oncology.

By Ben Fidler • May 27, 2020

Little-known drug manufacturer gets big contract for COVID-19 response

Through BARDA, the U.S. government has promised hundreds of millions of dollars to Phlow, a self-declared public benefit company that aims to secure a U.S.-based supply chain for essential medicines.

By Jacob Bell • May 19, 2020

Gilead licenses COVID-19 drug to 5 generics companies

The agreements would allow Mylan, Cipla and others to make remdesivir and distribute it to 127 countries. A consumer advocacy group, though, criticized Gilead for leaving many countries out. 

By Jacob Bell • May 13, 2020

Activist investor pushes Alexion to sell after Portola deal

Elliot Advisors cited Alexion's buyout of Portola, which triggered a sell-off last week, as reason to ask the biotech's board to solicit bids from larger pharmas.

By Jonathan Gardner • May 12, 2020

Alexion, seeking to broaden business, to buy Portola for $1.4B

The acquisition is a bet by Alexion that its commercial strength will help it broaden the market for Portola's top drug, the blood thinning antidote Andexxa. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • May 5, 2020

Blackstone backs Alnylam with up to $2B investment

The deal, which hands Blackstone royalty rights to an as-yet unapproved heart drug, is "one of the largest ever private financings of a biotech company," according to the firm.

By Jacob Bell • April 13, 2020

Amid a pandemic, Roche bets $190M on Arrakis and drugging RNA

The deal is one of the largest for a group of companies that aim to use small molecule drugs to block the function of RNA in the body's cells.

By Ben Fidler • April 8, 2020

Alnylam and Dicerna are pals now, which could spell trouble for Arrowhead

All three biotechs are developing drugs for patients with a genetic condition called A1AT deficiency. A new collaboration between the first two puts pressure on Arrowhead.

By Jacob Bell • April 6, 2020

GSK bets $250M on Vir's antibody approach to treating coronavirus

The companies aim to advance two antibodies developed by Vir directly into Phase 2 testing within the next three to five months, pending regulatory OK.

By Jonathan Gardner • April 6, 2020

Gilead to lean on Second Genome's microbiome work in $38M research pact

The four-year collaboration aims to unearth biomarkers that can help Gilead predict the benefit of drugs for diseases involving inflammation and fibrosis. 

By Ben Fidler • April 6, 2020

Fate inks $100M J&J pact for 'off-the-shelf' cancer cell therapies

Several companies, including Fate, could soon provide meaningful data in support of allogeneic cell therapy, unless COVID-19 disrupts those plans.

By Ben Fidler • April 3, 2020

Novartis gives up on planned $1B generic drug sale to Aurobindo

The companies called off the deal, which was supposed to close last quarter, after failing to secure regulatory sign-off from the FTC.

By Kristin Jensen • April 2, 2020

Ultragenyx's gene therapy technology finds another interested party

Daiichi Sankyo has agreed to pay $225 million to access a manufacturing platform that Ultragenyx acquired through its buy of Dimension Therapeutics.​

By Jacob Bell • April 1, 2020

After waffling, Qiagen agrees to $11.5B buyout by Thermo Fisher

The instruments maker will pay a 23% premium to take out Qiagen, adding to the diagnostics side of its business after investments in its contract drug offerings. 

By Maria Rachal • March 3, 2020

Gilead breaks M&A lull with $5B immuno-oncology deal

The bid for Forty Seven, a California biotech with a mid-stage cancer agent, comes at a high double-digit premium. Analysts expect it's the first of several near-term buyouts for Gilead.

By Jacob Bell • March 2, 2020

Sangamo sees vindication in Biogen gene-editing deal

Delivering products nearly ready for clinical testing has sparked greater dealmaking interest from big pharma, Sangamo's CEO told BioPharma Dive.

By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 28, 2020

Biogen, Sangamo look to tackle Alzheimer's, Parkinson's through gene regulation

A new collaboration between the biotechs hands Sangamo $350 million upfront and potentially billions more in milestones in exchange for a license to a dozen neurological disease targets.

By Jacob Bell • Feb. 27, 2020

Pharmacquired: Where are all the deals?

While a two-month dry spell isn't worrying analysts and consultants, 2020's slow start seems oddly timed given that many large biotechs and pharmas appear in need of M&A.

By Jacob Bell • Feb. 27, 2020

Takeda's small celiac disease bet turns into acquisition

Phase 1 data triggered a takeout of PvP Biologics worth up to $330 million, giving Takeda access to a drug invented by a University of Washington team.

By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 26, 2020

Akebia locks down control over partner's new regulatory fast pass

For $10 million, Akebia gained access to Vifor Pharma's newly acquired Priority Review Voucher, which could narrow the gap between its drug and a closer-to-market rival from AstraZeneca and Fibrogen.

By Jacob Bell • Feb. 18, 2020

Nestlé boosts investment as Aimmune preps launch of peanut allergy drug

With $200 million more in the bank, the biotech also in-licensed an experimental next-generation food allergy therapy from Xencor. 

By Jonathan Gardner • Updated Feb. 5, 2020

Catalent, expecting a boom in cell therapy, bids for Masthercell

With biologics driving growth, the contract manufacturer is looking to diversify with a $315 million purchase that hands it a slate of production sites.

By Jacob Bell • Feb. 3, 2020

To close merger, AbbVie and Allergan sell digestive drug to AstraZeneca

Allergan acquired global rights to brazikumab for $250 million up front in 2016, but expected antitrust conflicts pushed it and AbbVie to pursue a divestment.

By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 27, 2020

Lilly seeking out more 'Dermira-like' deals: report

The pharma is targeting deals between $1 billion and $5 billion every quarter, its CFO told Reuters, although the focus will be on clinical-stage assets.

By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 17, 2020

BioNTech rescues cancer biotech Neon in bargain buyout

The all-stock deal, worth $67 million, valued Neon at a 86% discount to the cell therapy developer's IPO price of $16 per share.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 16, 2020