Ex-Biogen exec presses ahead with new biotech

The new firm will focus on the role of exosomes in treating a wide variety of diseases.

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 18, 2015

India's Sun Pharma reportedly plotting to snatch Japanese drug portfolio from Novartis

A potential deal could be worth as much as $400 million and would represent a significant foray into the Japanese market by an Indian pharma company. 

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 17, 2015

Perrigo shareholders handily reject Mylan's $26B hostile takeover bid

Mylan needed stakeholders to tender at least 50% of Perrigo's shares in order to go forward with the buyout, but received just 40%. The news sent Mylan shares flying and Perrigo shares plunging.

By Sy Mukherjee • Nov. 13, 2015

With an eye towards more collabs, Boehringer takes an axe to its R&D budget

Boehringer Ingelheim plans to spend $2.5 billion per year on research over the next five years—a 17% drop from 2014. 

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 12, 2015

Google Life Sci, American Heart Association to pour $50M into heart research

This is the largest-ever one-time investment by the American Heart Association. 

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 12, 2015

In potential mega-merger with Pfizer, Allergan chief Saunders could become CEO

And a proposed deal could come as early as Thanksgiving.

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 12, 2015

Horizon swipes back at Express Scripts as PBM cuts off drugmaker's specialty pharma

According to Express Scripts, Linden Care Pharmacy mainly dispensed Horizon drugs and did not fulfill the network agreement. The PBM has also filed suit against Horizon.

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 12, 2015

WSJ: $350M Theranos-Safeway deal dissolving, adding to startup's recent woes

But the embattled blood testing company is sharply pushing back on the Journal's claims.

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 12, 2015

AstraZeneca leapfrogs Actelion with $2.7B deal for ZS Pharma

The deal comes with a late-stage kidney drug for treatment of hyperkalemia. 

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 9, 2015

Report: Amgen wants to get off the M&A sidelines, pursue $10 billion deal

According to the Financial Times, recent successes for Kyprolis, a drug acquired from Onyx, have boosted the biotech giant's confidence in a medium-sized deal.

By Sy Mukherjee • Nov. 9, 2015

Sanofi tries to reclaim diabetes momentum with $4.2B deal with Korean drug maker

The deal involves three late-stage candidates.

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 6, 2015

Walgreens, Mylan act to avoid antitrust violations as they pursue mega-deals

Walgreens is willing to sell 1,000 stores and Mylan would have to hawk seven of its generic medications in order to complete proposed acquisitions of Rite Aid and Perrigo, respectively.

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 4, 2015

Bristol-Myers to snatch Cardioxyl for $2B, aiming for a novel heart failure med

With this deal, BMS is getting its hands on a heart failure drug with a unique mode of action in phase 2 trials. 

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 4, 2015

Shire snatches rare disease firm Dyax for $5.9B, won't take eyes off Baxalta prize

The latest debt-funded deal will allow Shire to expand horizontally in the hereditary angioedema space.

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 3, 2015

Why Mylan is taking its Perrigo pursuit to Tel Aviv's stock exchange

Once Mylan N.V. is listed on the bourse, Perrigo shareholders in Israel will be able to vote on the company's buyout offer. 

By Nicole Gray • Nov. 3, 2015

Can the White House stop a Pfizer-Allergan inversion megamerger?

A little more than a year after the Obama administration announced rules to make the practice more difficult, the merger might provide Pfizer with the very tax advantage the rules were designed to curb.

By Randy Lilleston • Oct. 30, 2015

Pfizer, Allergan open talks for potentially massive merger

The two pharma giants say they are in "prelminary friendly discussions" toward a merger that likely would be valued at well over $100 billion.

By Randy Lilleston • Oct. 29, 2015

UPDATE: Walgreens to snap up Rite Aid at 48% premium, forming drug store giant

Rite Aid shares closed up more than 42% on Tuesday after the Wall Street Journal first reported the imminent deal. It has now been confirmed: a $17.2 billion deal (including debt) with a huge premium on Rite Aid's $6.08 closing price Monday.

By Sy Mukherjee • Oct. 27, 2015

Vertex, CRISPR Therapeutics strike gene editing pact worth up to $2.6B

The companies will focus on developing treatments for cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 27, 2015

Moderna launches yet another startup, Caperna, to develop cancer vaccines

Caperna is the Boston-based biotech's fourth startup. 

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 22, 2015

Novartis expands its immuno-oncology portfolio via M&A, partnerships

Novartis has acquired Admune Therapeutics and entered into two cancer immunotherapy-related licensing agreements.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 22, 2015

Actelion: We're interested in ZS Pharma, but not dependent on M&A

The company, flush with cash from its successful pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) drug, is looking at "seven or eight" potential targets for a buyout. 

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 21, 2015

US, Saudia Arabia may collaborate on MERS vaccine

The World Health Organization is spearheading an effort to prepare for the next Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak. 

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 21, 2015

Shire's case for a Baxalta takeover dims as FDA spurns lead eye drug

Lifitegrast, which is intended to treat chronic dry eye disease, has long been considered one of the strongest candidates in Shire's pipeline. The company says it will refile the therapy in Q1 2016.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 19, 2015

Bristol-Myers, Five Prime forge $1.75B immuno-oncology development deal

The deal hinges on use of Five Prime's antibody-based compounds.

By Nicole Gray • Oct. 15, 2015