A good deal for Roche just got better: Intermune reports new Esbriet data

Based on newly-available 72-week data, Esbriet (pirfenidone) significantly reduces the risk of mortality in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 10, 2014

Wellspring acquires OTC motion sickness drug

The acquisition of Bonine from Prestige Brands brings more value to Wellspring’s OTC nausea franchise.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 8, 2014

AbbVie and Infinity to collaborate on blood cancer treatment

Infinity’s blood cancer drug-in-development looks promising. But AbbVie’s lead blood cancer candidate might be headed for failure over safety concerns.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 5, 2014

Teamwork: Pfizer to promote Novartis' COPD drugs in the UK

In an everybody-wins deal, Pfizer will market Seebri (glycopyrronium) and Ultibro (indaceterol/glycopyrronium) in the UK.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 5, 2014

Report: AZ-White House phone calls set off DC's tax-inversion backlash

The company was fighting a Pfizer takeover bid when two investors contacted the Obama admin on its behalf.

By Sy Mukherjee • Sept. 4, 2014

BMS opts out of RA drug deal with Alder Biopharmaceuticals

Despite promising phase II data, BMS is returning worldwide clazakizumab development rights to Alder.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 4, 2014

Google's Calico, AbbVie strike $1.5 billion R&D pact to fight age-related diseases

The 50-50 collaboration will aim to create drugs that fight aging-related declines in physical and mental health.

By Sy Mukherjee • Sept. 3, 2014

Belgium-based Ablynx pens development deal with China's Eddingpharm

Eddingpharm will develop Ablynx’s next-generation rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment.

By Nicole Gray • Sept. 3, 2014

Amgen files first-in-class cholesterol drug with FDA

Can Amgen's PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab beat Sanofi/Regeneron’s alirocumab to FDA approval?

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 29, 2014

Does Gilead have its sights set on Achillion Pharma?

A Gilead buyout would continue the current trend of large pharma companies buying mid-cap biotechs.

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 28, 2014

Pfizer, Merck team up to develop metastatic cancer immunotherapy

The two companies are exploring the therapeutic potential of Pfizer’s Xalkori (crizotinib) with Merck’s investigational P-1 antibody, pembrolizumab. 

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 27, 2014

AZ, Illumina join forces to develop companion diagnostic tests for cancer drugs

Illumina’s next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform is designed to help physicians understand the molecular make-up of cancerous tumors and treat them accordingly. 

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 27, 2014

J&J's Janssen buys Covagen

Cilag GmbH International, a J&J/Janssen subsidiary, has purchased the privately held Swiss biotech firm for an undisclosed sum. 

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 26, 2014

Merck, Advaxis partner up on prostate cancer research

The team will evaluate the combined effect of two products -- one from each company -- on prostate cancer patients. 

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 26, 2014

Roche to buy CA-based biotech InterMune in $8.3 billion deal

Roche's CEO told Forbes that the deal is less about financial consolidation, and more about growing the Swiss drug maker's portfolio to include InterMune's idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis drug.

By Sy Mukherjee • Aug. 25, 2014

J&J pursues stem cell diabetes deal with ViaCyte

Under the deal, J&J subsidiary Janssen has “a future right to evaluate a transaction” related to ViaCyte’s stem cell-based therapy-in-development for type 1 diabetes. 

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 25, 2014

Medtronic execs, shareholders lock horns over tax-inversion deal

"This is the least shareholder-friendly proposal I have ever seen," said one attendee at Medtronic's annual shareholder meeting.  

By Sy Mukherjee • Aug. 22, 2014

Novartis buys stake in Israeli stem-cell company

All told, Novartis could pay up to $435 million over a two-year period to buy Israel-based Gamida Cell. 

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 21, 2014

Allergan names 30-year company vet next CFO amid Valeant chaos

Jim Hindman will replace Jeff Edwards as CFO and executive vice president of finance and business development.

By Sy Mukherjee • Aug. 18, 2014

Word on the street: IPF drug maker InterMune is taking bids

Bidders are said to include Sanofi, Roche, GSK, and Actelion.

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 15, 2014

Feds to investigate Valeant, Bill Ackman's Allergan takeover bid

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is in the early stages of probing Valeant and Ackman's Pershing Square's hostile takeover bid for botox-maker Allergan, sources say.

By Sy Mukherjee • Aug. 14, 2014

Roche backs out of $600 million development deal with Chiasma

Israel-based Chiasma is looking for a new partner to co-develop a promising investigational acromegaly drug. 

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 14, 2014

Pfizer, 23andMe team up to study the genetics of bowel disease

The goal of this collaboration is to explore the underlying biology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) by learning more about the genetic profiles of those living with the conditions.

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 14, 2014

Sanofi nabs rights to MannKind's inhaled insulin with $150 million deal

MannKind's Afrezza is the first insulin inhalation powder to be approved for use in the U.S. Sanofi could wind up paying the company up to $925 million for it.

By Sy Mukherjee • Aug. 11, 2014

AbbVie-Shire, other inversions on the chopping block as government mulls action

President Obama and the US Treasury are looking for ways to stop American corporations from moving their headquarters offshore. 

By Nicole Gray • Aug. 8, 2014