EQRx, gearing up for a price war with big pharma, buys two cancer drugs

The unusual startup aims to speed potential rivals to blockbuster medicines Ibrance and Tagrisso to market and price them at a "small fraction" of the cost, CEO Alexis Borisy told BioPharma Dive.

By Ben Fidler • July 23, 2020

Gilead adds to string of cancer drug deals with Tizona stake

An upfront payment of $300 million gives Gilead a nearly 50% stake in Tizona Therapeutics and the exclusive option to acquire it later, depending on how promising the biotech's immunotherapy looks.

By Jacob Bell • July 21, 2020

GSK invests in mRNA vaccines through deal with CureVac

While CureVac's coronavirus work is excluded from the deal, GSK said the biotech's platform should complement its existing vaccine technology and provide greater access to manufacturing.

By Jacob Bell • July 20, 2020

Sanofi, on the lookout for acquisitions, may have spotted a target

A Bloomberg report names Principia Biopharma, a biotech with an existing partnership with Sanofi, among the U.S. companies that the French pharma is evaluating for possible deals.

By Jacob Bell • July 17, 2020

Blueprint, eyeing an independent future, gets $775M in new Roche alliance

The deal, which gives Roche rights to Blueprint's lead drug pralsetinib, is another bet by the Swiss drugmaker on targeted cancer therapies.

By Ben Fidler • Updated July 14, 2020

Blackstone caps off private equity's largest-ever life sciences fund

At $4.6 billion, the fund signals that one of the most powerful groups in private equity sees strong demand for biotech investment. 

By Jacob Bell • July 10, 2020

In a surprise, UniQure sells its hemophilia gene therapy for $450M

The licensing deal with CSL Behring is one of the largest for a gene therapy, but the partnership could make a buyout of the Dutch firm less likely. 

By Ben Fidler • June 25, 2020

By $4M, La Jolla outbids Melinta for struggling Tetraphase

La Jolla's cash offer is the third attempt to take out Tetraphase, an antibiotic specialist once valued at nearly $2 billion but now worth less than $20 million.

By Jonathan Gardner • June 24, 2020

Merck strikes another neuroscience deal, tapping Yumanity for 2 brain drugs

The pharma hasn't invested much in neuroscience since its Alzheimer's drug plans unraveled in 2017. Three deals in the past year, however, should help keep its options open.

By Ben Fidler • June 24, 2020

Gilead, in latest cancer bet, puts $275M into immunotherapy startup Pionyr

The drugmaker's investment in California-based Pionyr follows other recent cancer-focused deals with Forty Seven and Arcus Biosciences.

By Jonathan Gardner • June 23, 2020

Sarepta tries to fine-tune its gene therapy approach

Research deals with Codiak Biosciences and Selecta Biosciences could help Sarepta work around a key challenge in gene therapy development.

By Jacob Bell • June 22, 2020

AbbVie puts $60M into ex-Dendreon CEO's company in autoimmune drug pact

The deal gives AbbVie an option to license a drug Alpine Immune Sciences — a company run by one-time Dendreon CEO Mitch Gold — is developing for autoimmune diseases.

By Ben Fidler • June 18, 2020

Neurocrine bets $2B on Takeda's psychiatry drugs

The deal provides Neurocrine with three clinical-stage drugs and a more diversified pipeline, while Takeda gets more bandwidth to work on its other neuroscience projects.

By Jacob Bell • June 16, 2020

CureVac gets German backing for coronavirus vaccine, but says it's independent

An investment of 300 million Euros gives the German government a 23% stake in CureVac, but won't grant the country exclusive national rights to a vaccine nearing human testing.

By Jonathan Gardner • June 15, 2020

AbbVie hands Genmab $750M in latest bid to grow cancer drug business

Best known for Humira, AbbVie has made a concerted effort to build its cancer drugs business, with mixed results. The Genmab alliance could take the Illinois drugmaker in a new direction.

By Ben Fidler • June 10, 2020

China's Innovent buys rights to Roche cancer technology

The deal covers research into cell therapies and bispecific antibodies, and grants Roche an option to develop any resulting product outside of China.

By Jonathan Gardner • June 9, 2020

Fresh off ASCO myeloma data, Legend Bio gets $424M in biotech's biggest IPO of 2020

The China-based cell therapy developer, whose myeloma therapy is a rival to one from Bristol Myers and Bluebird, outraised this year's previous top initial biotech stock offering.

By Ben Fidler • June 5, 2020

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