Deals: Page
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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 -
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 -
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 -
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 Ben Fidler • May 3, 2021 -
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 Jacob Bell • April 20, 2021 -
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 -
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 Jonathan Gardner • April 16, 2021 -
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 -
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 -
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 Ben Fidler • April 9, 2021 -
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 Jacob Bell • March 16, 2021 -
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 Jonathan Gardner • March 16, 2021 -
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 Jacob Bell • March 15, 2021 -
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 Ben Fidler • March 9, 2021 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 Jacob Bell • March 3, 2021 -
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 Jacob Bell , Ben Fidler • 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 -
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 Jacob Bell • Feb. 18, 2021 -
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 Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 3, 2021 -
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