Done deal: Shire acquires NPS Pharma for $5.2 billion

Irish company Shire finally sealed the deal with NPS Pharma, and in the process acquired drugs that will shore up its rare diseases drug portfolio.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 12, 2015

Genentech and Google-backed 23andMe strike Parkinson's research deal

The two companies will team up to sequence the genomes of 3,000 Parkinson's patients in an effort to research new treatments.

By Sy Mukherjee • Jan. 7, 2015

Gilead acquires Phenex's FXR liver drugs in $470 million deal

Gilead is working on development of therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 7, 2015

Minnesota Investment Board will not support Medtronic-Covidien inversion deal

A key investor is expressing displeasure at the planned $43 billion merger between Minneapolis-based Medtronic and Dublin-based Covidien.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 6, 2015

Moderna raises record $450M from investors with groundbreaking RNA tech

That brings the company's private fundraising total up to $950 million.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 6, 2015

J&J and Isis strike $835 million co-development deal

With funding from J&J, Isis is embarking on an R&D quest to discover and develop antisense drugs to treat autoimmune disorders of the GI tract.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 6, 2015

Out with the old: Novartis completes Lilly animal health sale as part of overhaul

Novartis has completed the sale of its animal-health division to Eli Lilly for $5.4 billion and is finalizing acquisition of GSK's oncology unit for $14.5 billion.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 5, 2015

ICYMI: 9 big biopharma predictions for 2015, according to industry experts

9 experts weigh in on the events and trends that will matter most in biopharma in 2015.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 5, 2015

Chiasma raising $56M to develop acromegaly drug—without Roche

Last August, Roche backed out of a $600 million co-development deal with Chiasma. But the company pledged to move forward.

By Nicole Gray • Jan. 5, 2015

It's over: Teva and OncoGenex dissolve custirsen cancer partnership

A partnership initiated between Teva and OncoGenex in 2009 has been scuttled as Teva backs out of a deal to co-develop a prostate cancer drug.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 31, 2014

Novo searching for successor to CEO Sørensen, who has big shoes to fill

Lars Rebien Sørensen has overseen tremendous growth at Novo Nordisk over his long tenure. But the Novo team reportedly isn't too worried about a transition to a new chief.

By Sy Mukherjee • Dec. 29, 2014

J&J investing $125M up front for MacroGenics' blood cancer drug

With an additional $575 million in prospective milestone fees.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 23, 2014

Vanda, Novartis reach settlement in schizophrenia drug licensing spat

Novartis will transfer all U.S. and Canadian rights for Fanapt (iloperdione) back to Vanda Pharmaceuticals, among other provisions of the settlement.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 23, 2014

HHS's BARDA grants $30M Ebola vax development contract to NewLink

All of the clinical development, testing, and manufacturing of the rVSV-EBOV vaccine will be handled by BioProtection Systems—a subsidiary of NewLink.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 23, 2014

Actavis considering Almirall acquisition to expand European foothold

After its $66 billion deal with Allergan, Actavis is considering new takeover targets, including Almirall, which is based in Spain and could provide a basis for growth in the European market.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 22, 2014

AbbVie pins hopes for first major approval in 10 years on hep C drug

AbbVie is in desperate need of diversification, because it relies on just one drug, Humira, for 63% of its profits. Could its new hep C treatment be the answer?

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 19, 2014

Actavis reveals post-merger management plans: Saunders to stay as CEO

Actavis dished on what the company's management structure will look like after its Allergan acquisition is complete.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 18, 2014

Report: Shire still hunting for a deal, maybe with NPS Pharma

Just two months after a massive anticipated $55 billion deal with AbbVie fell apart, Shire is reportedly considering a bid for NJ-based NPS Pharmaceuticals.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 18, 2014

Google Ventures ventures more aggressively into healthcare, life sciences

In 2014, more than one-third of the venture capital invested by Google Ventures went into healthcare and life sciences start-ups—a 9% increase from 2012 and 2013.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 17, 2014

Pfizer, OPKO reach growth hormone drug pact worth up to $570M

Pfizer and OPKO Health are collaborating on a medication that will address growth-hormone deficiency—without the inconvenience of daily injections.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 16, 2014

The other victims of scuttled AbbVie-Shire deal? Big banks

The fallout from the scuttled $55 billion deal is piling up as it becomes apparent that many banks and hedge funds had big positions in Shire.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 16, 2014

Abbott closes Veropharm deal amidst US-Russia political tension

Abbott has completed a deal to buy Veropharma from billionaire Roman Avdeev for $305 million, in spite of ongoing political tensions between the West and Russia.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 15, 2014

After failed Allergan offensive, Valeant finally taking break from M&A focus

After an epic struggle that culminated in Valeant failing to acquire Allergan, the Valeant is reportedly regrouping and taking a break from acquisitions to focus on debt reduction.     

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 10, 2014

A $3B case of bad timing? Merck defends Cubist deal after judge invalidates patents

One day after Merck announced a $9.5B acquisition of antibiotics powerhouse Cubist, a federal judge invalidated four of the five patents on the company's flagship Cubicin.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 10, 2014

FDA: A defined biosimlar pathway is coming—soon

The FDA is emphasizing that, despite the lack of a formal pathway, a biosimilar can still be approved.

By Nicole Gray • Dec. 8, 2014