Deals: Page


  • A photo of a Biogen sign
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    Permission granted by Biogen
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    Biogen licenses a stroke drug from Japanese drugmaker TMS

    The drug, which Biogen had an option to license, is one of two in the biotech's pipeline for a condition that has had few new treatments developed. 

    By Kristin Jensen • May 12, 2021
  • A photo of a Gingko Bioworks office
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    Courtesy of Ginkgo Bioworks
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    Ginkgo Bioworks to go public through $2.5B SPAC deal

    Bellco Capital, led by Kite Pharma and Allogene Therapeutics founder Arie Belldegrun, will co-sponsor the transaction alongside Eagle Equity Partners.

    By Ned Pagliarulo • May 11, 2021
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    Getty / Edited by BioPharma Dive
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    CSL closes deal for UniQure gene therapy in hopeful sign for M&A

    Completion of the buyout eases concerns the arrangement might be held up by the FTC, which has signaled it will step up scrutiny of life sciences deals.  

    By Kristin Jensen • May 6, 2021
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    Getty Images
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    Roivant valued at $7B in blank-check merger, bucking SPAC slowdown

    Vivek Ramaswamy's unusual biotech holding company will go public through a deal with Montes Archimedes Acquisition Corp. that nets Roivant $611 million.

    By • May 3, 2021
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    Ryan McKnight, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
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    Vertex bets another $900M on CRISPR treatment for blood diseases

    Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics are tweaking their partnership so that the larger biotech will cover 60% of the costs — and receive 60% of the future profits — related to a gene editing therapy for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.

    By • April 20, 2021
  • A scientist in a laboratory at Relay Therapeutics
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    Permission granted by Relay Therapeutics
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    Relay buys AI startup to aid unorthodox drug discovery quest

    The $85 million acquisition is an unusual and early step for a company like Relay, which went public last July and only just began clinical testing of its lead drugs last year. 

    By Ned Pagliarulo • April 16, 2021
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    Lisa Maree Williams via Getty Images
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    US clears AstraZeneca buyout of Alexion amid closer scrutiny of biopharma M&A

    FTC authorization of the $39 billion deal — the sector's largest in 2020 — may ease concerns over the agency's plans to more intently inspect pharma deals. 

    By • April 16, 2021
  • Two test tubes pour different-colored liquids into a beaker in an illustration representative of biopharma mergers.
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    Elizabeth Regan/BioPharma Dive
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    Thermo Fisher to buy research contractor PPD in $17B deal

    The deal values PPD at $47.50 a share, or about 24% over the company's closing price on April 13 — the day before The Wall Street Journal reported word of the planned acquisition.

    By Kristin Jensen • April 15, 2021
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    Cancer biotech Tango to go public through $350M SPAC deal

    Gilead, which expanded its research collaboration with Tango last year, will take part in a related private investment along with more than a dozen high-profile backers.

    By Kristin Jensen • April 14, 2021
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    Courtesy of Sanofi
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    Sanofi buys an mRNA startup in another bet on 'off-the-shelf' cell therapy

    Tidal Therapeutics is the second biotech developing more convenient cell therapies that the French pharma has recently acquired as part of a broader expansion in oncology.

    By • April 9, 2021
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    Amgen Inc.
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    Amgen acquires a small biotech and its inflammatory disease research

    The deal for Rodeo Therapeutics follows closely on the heels of the large biotech's buyout of cancer drug developer Five Prime.

    By Kristin Jensen • March 31, 2021
  • FTC challenges Illumina's $7B Grail buyout amid new scrutiny of life science deals

    The commission said the acquisition will "harm competition in the U.S. market" for early cancer detection tests.

    By Nick Paul Taylor • March 31, 2021
  • Global Blood takes on more sickle cell drugs through Sanofi deal

    Global Blood says the two acquired programs could complement Oxbryta, its marketed sickle cell drug that gained approval in late 2019.

    By • March 16, 2021
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    Brian Tucker/BioPharma Dive
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    FTC joins overseas antitrust regulators in reexamination of pharma M&A

    Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, the commission's acting chair, indicated future reviews could look beyond measures of company size and market share.

    By • March 16, 2021
  • Two test tubes pour different-colored liquids into a beaker in an illustration representative of biopharma mergers.
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    Elizabeth Regan/BioPharma Dive
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    Gilead, Merck combine forces in HIV

    The rivals are now working together on oral and injectable treatments that combine their closely watched experimental drugs lenacapavir and islatravir.

    By • March 15, 2021
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    Courtesy of Takeda
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    Taking a page from Celgene, Takeda builds and buys a cancer biotech

    An agreement to acquire Maverick Therapeutics for up to $525 million has roots in a plan hatched by Takeda to emulate elements of Celgene's dealmaking strategy.

    By • March 9, 2021
  • Two test tubes pour different-colored liquids into a beaker in an illustration representative of biopharma mergers.
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    Elizabeth Regan/BioPharma Dive
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    Biotech's deal refusals led to pricey buyout by Merck

    Pandion rejected multiple offers by Merck to partner on or acquire the small biotech's research before accepting a $1.85 billion acquisition bid last month.

    By Ned Pagliarulo • March 5, 2021
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    Amgen Inc.
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    Amgen, with rare buyout, pays $1.9B for cancer biotech Five Prime

    The acquisition marks a dramatic turnaround for Five Prime, which has in recent years struggled through setbacks, executive departures and layoffs.

    By Ned Pagliarulo • March 4, 2021
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    Getty / Edited by BioPharma Dive
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    Doudna-founded biotech Caribou raises fresh funds to fuel gene editing pipeline

    The CRISPR biotech raised $115 million in a Series C financing aimed at advancing its engineered cell therapy research. 

    By Kristin Jensen • March 3, 2021
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    Getty Images
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    Takeda takes full control of drug for rare epilepsies

    A new agreement with Ovid Therapeutics has Takeda paying almost $200 million to secure global rights to soticlestat, an experimental treatment for certain brain diseases.

    By • March 3, 2021
  • Two test tubes pour different-colored liquids into a beaker in an illustration representative of biopharma mergers.
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    Elizabeth Regan/BioPharma Dive
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    Merck to buy autoimmune drugmaker for $2B

    The deal, which values Pandion Therapeutics at a more than 100% premium, would hand Merck a drug in early-stage testing for ulcerative colitis and lupus.

    By , • Feb. 25, 2021
  • Beam, capitalizing on stock surge, buys gene therapy tools developer for $120M

    Guide Therapeutics, the company Beam acquired, is working on ways to more efficiently deliver gene editing therapies into the body.

    By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 23, 2021
  • A building with logo of drugmaker Eli Lilly.
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    Courtesy of Eli Lilly
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    Lilly wagers almost $1B on Rigel's drugs for immune and nervous systems

    For $125 million up front, Lilly secures rights to a drug about to enter mid-stage testing for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, as well as preclinical assets targeting the central nervous system.

    By • Feb. 18, 2021
  • Employees of CureVac work in a laboratory
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    Courtesy of CureVac
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    GSK expands CureVac vaccine partnership, changing course after setbacks

    The U.K. drugmaker will help CureVac make 100 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine and join in developing a multivalent shot for 2022.

    By • Feb. 3, 2021
  • A sign for Jazz Pharmaceuticals is displayed at the ASCO annual meeting in Chicago on June 2, 2018.
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    Jacob Bell/BioPharma Dive
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    Jazz Pharma to buy GW Pharma, maker of CBD-based epilepsy drug, for $7.2B

    The deal gives Jazz, best known for its sleep disorder drugs, access to Epidiolex, the first prescription cannabidiol medicine approved by the FDA.

    By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 3, 2021