Cancer Treatments Are Driving Biopharmaceutical M&A
It’s been a busy year for mergers and acquisitions in the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical industries. Combined spending on M&A is close to $268 billion mid-way through December, with 229 transactions reported. Although the number of deals is 34% lower than 2018’s combined total of 345, spending skyrocketed 62%, from just $165 billion in all of 2018. Two recent deals from major drug manufacturers highlight what’s behind the trend. On December 9, Sanofi announced its $2.5 billion acquisition of Synthorx, Inc. (NASDAQ: THOR), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on treating cancer and autoimmune disorders. The price consists of $68 per share, a 172% premium to... Read More »
AstraZeneca Divests More of Seroquel
Piece by piece, AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) continues to divest the rights of Seroquel and Seroquel XR (Seroquel), a prescription drug for schizophrenia and bipolar, in various major markets. It used to be a big seller for the pharmaceutical giant over the years but has since declined considerably after the FDA approved a generic version of the drug in May 2017. In 2017, Seroquel recorded sales of $332 million, representing a year-over-year decline of 55%. As a result, AstraZeneca has found buyers to take the drug off their portfolio. However, it also gives AstraZeneca the opportunity to focus on its three main therapy areas of oncology, cardiovascular, renal & metabolism, and respiratory.... Read More »
Big Pharma Is Back in the Headlines
It looks like some big pharma companies want to get their holiday shopping done early this year. Two transactions with values north of $1 billion were announced in late November, stimulating a sector that’s been relatively quiet the past few months. The first might not come as a surprise since it’s been circling the rumor mill for some time. Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) announced the acquisition of The Medicines Company (NASDAQ: MDCO) for $9.7 billion, or $85 per share. The deal value is comprised of a 24% premium over MDCO’s November 22, 2019 closing price of $68.55, as well as the company’s outstanding stock options and convertible debt. MDCO is focused on treating... Read More »
Biogen Eyes Two Ophthalmic Biosimilars
Boston-based Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) has announced a “proposed transaction” with Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. to secure the exclusive rights to commercialize two new ophthalmology biosimilars, SB11 referencing Lucentis® and SB15 referencing Eylea®, in major markets worldwide, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia. In addition, Biogen will acquire exclusive commercialization rights for Samsung Bioepis’ anti-TNF portfolio, including Benepali (etanercept), Flixabi (infliximab) and Imraldi (adalimumab), in China. Biogen will also acquire an option to extend its existing commercial agreement with Samsung Bioepis for this anti-TNF portfolio in Europe.... Read More »
Danaher Drops Business Segments to Appease Regulators
Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) is selling a number of its business segments and assets to Sartorius AG (FWB: SRT) for $750 million. The sale includes Danaher’s label-free biomolecular charaterization, chromatography hardware and resins, and microcarriers and particle validation standards businesses, which are part of its Life Sciences segment. Danaher is selling this portion of its Life Sciences segment as a step towards obtaining regulatory approval for its pending acquisition of the GE Biopharma business (NYSE: GE). These businesses generated approximately $140 million in combined revenue in 2018. GE Life Sciences announced the sale of its biopharmaceutical business for $21.4... Read More »Schedule a demo
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