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

Roche, aiming to make better gene therapies, turns to an emerging startup

The Swiss pharma is the third large drugmaker to partner with Harvard spinout Dyno Therapeutics, a small biotech aiming to improve gene therapy technology.

By Ben Fidler • Oct. 14, 2020

Pharmacquired: Splashy deals belie a shallow pool of heart drugs left to acquire

Recent deals for MyoKardia and The Medicines Co. may be hard to follow, since venture investors and big pharma acquirers have largely ignored cardiovascular drugs.

By Jacob Bell • Oct. 8, 2020

With a sweetened offer, BridgeBio plans to reel in a subsidiary

After an unsuccessful buyout attempt in 2019, BridgeBio aims to acquire the roughly one-third of Eidos Therapeutics that it doesn't already own.

By Jacob Bell • Oct. 5, 2020

Bristol Myers to buy MyoKardia in $13B bet on targeted drugs for the heart

The buyout validates MyoKardia, which parted ways with partner Sanofi in early 2019 and then saw its top medicine succeed in a late-stage study this May.

By Ben Fidler • Oct. 5, 2020

Private equity-backed Covis to buy AMAG Pharma in $650M deal

The deal values AMAG shares at a 46% premium to their closing price Wednesday, boosting a company that's struggled through a series of setbacks. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 1, 2020

Pfizer pushes deeper into China with stake in cancer biotech

The $200 million investment in CStone Pharmaceuticals puts Pfizer in charge of selling a cancer immunotherapy in the world's second largest drug market.

By Jacob Bell • Sept. 30, 2020

Roche buys Inflazome as pharma interest in targeting inflammation grows

The wide-ranging role of an inflammatory protein known as NLRP3 has made it a hot drug target — particularly for Roche, which has now bought two startups developing drugs to block it.

By Ben Fidler • Sept. 21, 2020

Illumina buys spinout Grail, betting $8B on the future of cancer screening

The acquisition, announced shortly before a planned IPO by Grail, establishes sequencing giant Illumina as a major player in the chase to use blood tests to catch cancers early. Wall Street, however, isn't sold on the deal.

By Nick Paul Taylor , Greg Slabodkin • Sept. 21, 2020

Merck pays Seattle Genetics $1.7B as antibody cancer drugs continue comeback

Merck's deal for Seattle Genetics' antibody-drug conjugate comes as Gilead agreed to acquire rival developer Immunomedics in the biotech industry's largest buyout of 2020.

By Ben Fidler • Sept. 14, 2020