Pharma M&A Is all about Options

by | May 11, 2016 8:42 am | Pharmaceuticals

The days of mega-mergers in the pharmaceutical sector aren’t necessarily over, but those deals will be fewer and farther between, going forward. Nearly 60 deals have been announced in 2016 through the middle of May, and just 17 have an entire company as the target. The largest, so far, is Shire’s (NASDAQ: SHPG) $32 billion takeover of Baxalta (NYSE: BXLT), announced in January. The rest are either collaborations on product candidates, rights or license deals for marketed products or clinical-stage candidates, even the rights to royalties. That’s Royalty Pharma’s $1.1 billion deal for the royalty interest in Xtandi, which is being sold by a co-owner, UCLA, where... Read More »

Valeant Pharmaceuticals Keeps Buying

by | Sep 8, 2015 8:51 am | Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (NYSE: VRX) couldn’t keep its checkbook closed last week. On September 1, Valeant obtained the exclusive license to develop and commercialize brodalumab, a psoriasis drug candidate, from AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) for $100 million. Valeant will hold the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize brodalumab globally, except in Japan and certain other Asian countries where rights are held by Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. under a prior arrangement with Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN), the originator of brodalumab. A day later, the company announced its acquisition of Synergetics USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: SURG), a medical device company specializing in surgical... Read More »