Gene-Editing Firm Semma Acquired by Vertex

Gene-Editing Firm Semma Acquired by Vertex

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: VRTX) purchased another gene-editing biotech company last week, marking its fourth announced transaction of 2019. The pharmaceutical giant bought Semma Therapeutics for $950 million in an all-cash transaction for all of the company’s outstanding shares. Semma leverages stem cell-derived human islets to research potentially cures for type 1 diabetes. The biotech firm will become a separate operating subsidiary of Vertex and executives of Semma will join Vertex and remain in leadership positions at Semma. After a hiatus in 2018, Vertex has been on a shopping spree this year to build its gene-editing platform and capabilities for various... Read More »
Agilent Acquires BioTek Instruments

Agilent Acquires BioTek Instruments

Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A) announced its largest deal ever in July 2019. The Santa Clara, California-based biotech purchased privately held BioTek Instruments for nearly $1.2 billion. Agilent provides bio-analytical solutions and services to the life sciences, diagnostics, and genomics, chemical analysis, communications and electronics industries worldwide. On a trailing 12-month basis it generated revenue of $5.0 billion, EBITDA of $1.2 billion and net income of $1.1 billion. BioTek designs, manufactures and distributes life science instrumentation worldwide. Its product line includes cell imaging systems, microplate readers, washers, dispensers, automated incubators and stackers.... Read More »
Agilent Acquires BioTek Instruments

Array BioPharma Grabbed By Pfizer for $11.4 Billion

With AbbVie Inc.’s  (NYSE: ABBV) surprise $87 billion bid for Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN) dominating headlines this week, you’d be forgiven for forgetting Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) just bought Array BioPharma (NASDAQ: ARRY) for $11.4 billion only days before. It’s the pharmaceutical giant’s biggest deal of the year thus far in announced dollar volume, and only second behind the aforementioned transaction. The terms included $48 per share in cash, with 237,500,000 shares outstanding, representing a 62% premium to ARRY’s closing price on Friday, June 13. Array BioPharma is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and... Read More »
Another Cancer Treatment Startup for Merck

Another Cancer Treatment Startup for Merck

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) has been busy this year. After securing a licensing deal with  Cocrystal (NASDAQ: COCP) for proprietary influenza A/B antiviral agents in January, the company found two biotechnology start-ups to bolster its cancer treatment portfolio. First, in February Merck bought Immune Design for $5.85 per share in cash, for an approximate value of $300 million (135.8x trailing 12-month revenue). The target company is a late-stage immunotherapy company employing in-vivo approaches to enable the body’s immune system to fight disease. Through this acquisition, Merck gained Immune Design’s proprietary technologies, GLAAS and ZVex, which are engineered to... Read More »
Biotechnology Dominated Q1:19 Health Care Spending

Biotechnology Dominated Q1:19 Health Care Spending

Spending in the first quarter roared to nearly $150 billion, up 240% compared with the fourth quarter ($43.9 billion) and up 32% compared with the first quarter in 2018 ($113.4 billion). This quarter’s total would be halved if it weren’t for a single deal with a $74 billion price tag, Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (NYSE: BMY) acquisition of Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG). Two other deals added to the outsized total, Danaher Corporation’s (NYSE: DHR) $21.4 billion acquisition of GE Healthcare’s (NYSE: GE) Biopharma business and Centene Corporation’s (NYSE: CNC) $17.4 billion buyout of smaller health insurance rival WellCare Health Plans (NYSE: WCG). Those three deals made up 76% of the... Read More »
Gene-Editing Firm Semma Acquired by Vertex

Ocugen Acquires Histogenics Corporation

Ocugen, Inc., a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has acquired Histogenics Corporation (NASDAQ: HSGX). Although no financial terms were disclosed, the merged company will be publicly-traded, operating under the Ocugen name. Ocugen discovers, develops and commercializes a pipeline of innovative therapies that address rare and underserved eye diseases. Histogenics develops a restorative cell therapy technology platform. It has collaborated with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Cornell University and other leading institutions to advance molecular biology and proprietary materials sciences. Perhaps a big factor driving Ocugen’s purchase is Histogenic’s pipeline... Read More »