AbbVie returns to Voyager, searching for Parkinson's gene therapy

The R&D deal puts more than $1 billion on the table in milestone payments, as the companies hunt for a one-time treatment for Parkinson's disease.

By Andrew Dunn • Feb. 22, 2019

J&J invests in integrin therapies via Morphic deal

Biotech Morphic has landed another big pharma partner just a few months after reaching a development deal with AbbVie.

By Andrew Dunn • Feb. 21, 2019

Merck takes a shot on Immune Design

The big pharma put up around $300 million to acquire the immunotherapy company and strengthen its cancer vaccine capabilities.

By Jacob Bell • Feb. 21, 2019

As Lilly deal closes, Bayer secures full rights to Loxo's Vitrakvi

With the targeted cancer drug now exclusively held by Bayer, Lilly's buyout of Loxo becomes an $8 billion bet on the promise of the biotech's RET inhibitor.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 15, 2019

Charles River Labs snaps up early-stage CRO for $510M

Acquiring Citoxlab will build out the contract research organization's footprint into Eastern Europe.

By Suzanne Elvidge • Feb. 14, 2019

Jazz set to lose rights to Erwinaze after partner cancels deal

While the lost rights would be a hit to Jazz's revenues, the company has a recombinant version of drug that analysts believe could cushion the blow. 

By Kristin Jensen • Feb. 13, 2019

Lilly lowers 2019 revenue hopes, citing Lartruvo failure

Lartruvo's clinical failure, pricing pressure and an $8 billion acquisition have caused Lilly to shift business expectations for 2019.

By Andrew Dunn • Feb. 6, 2019

Xencor inks $120M deal with Roche for preclinical bispecific

The deal puts a notably high valuation on Xencor's preclinical candidate — reflective of Roche's apparent interest in expanding its bispecifics pipeline.

By Suzanne Elvidge • Feb. 6, 2019

GSK bets billions more on oncology

The U.K. drugmaker put nearly 4 billion euros on the table to jointly develop and commercialize one of Merck KGaA's investigational immunotherapies.

By Jacob Bell • Feb. 5, 2019

'Strategic fit' with Bristol-Myers kept Celgene from casting wider net in deal negotiations

Celgene reached out to only one other company about a potential deal during negotiations with Bristol-Myers over what became a $74 billion buyout.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Feb. 1, 2019

J&J inks deal with MeiraGTx for retinal disease gene therapies

The early-stage deal is a sign of growing interest from pharma in advancing gene therapy development, analysts said.

By Suzanne Elvidge • Feb. 1, 2019

Voyager vaults higher on Neurocrine deal for Parkinson's gene therapy

Shares in Voyager rose by 40% after news Neurocrine will pay $165 million upfront in a collaboration centered on two experimental gene therapies.

By Andrew Dunn • Jan. 29, 2019

Amid controversies, J&J voted most admired pharma

The big pharma has come under fire in recent months for misrepresenting hip implant products and, to a much larger extent, its talc powder business.​

By Jacob Bell • Jan. 23, 2019

A flashy 2019 start to pharma M&A, but will it last?

Recent high-profile acquisitions don't fully clear up what the buyer's market will look like in an expected bumper year for dealmaking.

By Jacob Bell • Jan. 22, 2019

7 biopharma trends to watch in 2019

Intensifying political pressure, surging cancer drug investment and the rise of pharma chief digital officers are among the factors which look set to shape the industry's next 12 months.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 17, 2019

Lilly rushed its Loxo deal to have a big reveal at JPM

While Lilly's buy sent ripples through the biotech landscape, new information shows the pharma was the only company to bid on the cancer specialist.

By Jacob Bell • Jan. 17, 2019

Shire deal done, Takeda turns to task of forging top pharma

"Shire accelerates us by five years," Andy Plump, head of R&D at Takeda, said in an interview detailing the impact of the now complete $62 billion deal. 

By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 9, 2019

AbbVie takes $4B impairment charge on Stemcentrx

The pharma's $5.6 billion purchase in 2016 has soured with clinical setbacks on a leading asset, resulting in a multi-billion write-down.

By Suzanne Elvidge • Jan. 7, 2019

Lilly to buy Loxo Oncology for $8B

On the heels of the Bristol-Celgene mega-deal, Lilly will dive deeper into genetic-based cancer therapies with its buy of the Connecticut-based startup.

By Andrew Dunn • Jan. 7, 2019

Biogen stock trends up on neurology disease deals

The biotech started the year by doubling down on brain disease drug discovery, with two platform deals with small biotechs together worth up to $1.5 billion.

By Suzanne Elvidge • Jan. 7, 2019

Pharmas spending too much on buybacks, not enough on big deals: report

Bristol-Myers-Celgene and Takeda-Shire aside, drugmakers have tended to focus on pruning pipelines through bolt-on deals and collaborations.

By Jacob Bell • Jan. 7, 2019

How Bristol-Myers' big buy could spur ripples for pharma M&A

History suggests the deal itself won't spur big-ticket M&A. But the trends behind it — including a need for scale among cancer drugmakers — just might.

By Jacob Bell • Jan. 4, 2019

Bristol-Myers' gamble on Celgene pipeline prospects

Five Celgene drugs could launch in the next few years, a key factor in attracting the big pharma. But predictions of more than $15 billion in peak sales may prove rosy.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 4, 2019

AbbVie puts up $105M for Tizona's preclinical I/O drug

Tizona's lead therapy inhibits an enzyme called CD39, a lesser-known target thought to play a role in immune regulation within the tumor microenviornment.

By Suzanne Elvidge • Jan. 4, 2019

Merck licenses diabetes, NASH treatment from NGM

It's the latest example of pharma's growing interest in NASH, a condition expected to soon become a leading cause for liver transplants in the U.S.

By Kristin Jensen • Jan. 3, 2019