Bristol-Myers adds to immuno-oncology portfolio

by | Jul 8, 2016 7:46 pm | Pharmaceuticals

On July 5, 2016, Bristol-Myers Squibb (NASDAQ: BMY) acquired the privately-held, Sweden-based Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB for $95 million. The driver behind this acquisition was gaining full rights to Cormorant’s HuMax-IL8 antibody program, which may result in an additional $425 million in development and regulatory milestone payments. Cormorant had acquired HuMax-IL8 from GenMab A/S in 2012 and has since taken it into development. It is a phase 1/2 monoclonal antibody that offers the potential to boost immune response and increase the effectiveness of existing cancer medicines through combination therapy. The addition of HuMax-IL8 enhances BMY’s existing pipeline of clinical candidates... Read More »

Not Your Neighborhood Pharmacy

by | Jul 8, 2016 6:53 pm | Other Services

Some healthcare sectors have benefited more than others from demographic trends, the prevalence of chronic illnesses, and an abundance of drug pipelines. However, one subsector of health care services may really start cashing in. According to the 22nd Edition of The Health Care Services Acquisition Report, in 2011, there were only 6 specialty pharma acquisitions. By 2014 and 2015, there were 11 and 14, respectively. Specialty pharmacies have the resources to handle the challenging prescriptions that retail pharmacies do not. These prescriptions are generally expensive, and, according to CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), the average cost to payers and patients for a specialty medication is $3,000 per... Read More »

Takeda’s triple transactions

by | Jul 7, 2016 7:35 pm | Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. (OTCQB: TKPYY) has been busy bolstering its role as a global leader in gastroenterology. On June 8, 2016, Takeda dished out $15 million for Theravance Biopharma’s (NASDAQ: TBPH) license to TD-8954, a selective 5-HT4 receptor agonist being investigated for potential use in gastrointestinal motility disorders, including enteral feeding intolerance. Less than a month later, Takeda bought the rights to develop ATC-1906  from Altos Therapeutics for an undisclosed amount. ATC-1906 is currently in Phase 1 studies for the treatment of gastroparesis and its symptoms. Then, just four days later, on July 5 2016, Takeda paid approximately $28 million to TiGenix N.V.... Read More »

Sheridan’s hot start to July

by | Jul 6, 2016 6:41 pm | Physician Medical Groups

Sheridan, the Physicians Services division of AmSurg Corp (NASDAQ: AMSG), came in hot the first week of July with three announced acquisitions in Florida. On July 5th, AllegiantMD, Inc. joined Sheridan’s existing roster of over 300 fellowship-trained, board-certified radiologists, who cover 150 facilities across 22 states.  Based in Tampa, Florida, AllegiantMD is a privately-held provider of on-site and remote-read subspecialized radiology services. The combination will account for approximately six million radiology interpretations on an annualized basis, primarily delivered through exclusive contracts with hospitals and imaging centers. On July 6th, Sheridan announced the... Read More »