Pharma’s Big Year in M&A

With one week to go in 2015, there are still a few big pharmaceutical deals in the works. Shire plc (NASDAQ: SHPG) is now in friendly talks to take over Baxalta International Inc. (NYSE: BXLT) for a price rumored to be above $30 billion. By who’s waiting for 2016? Here is a preliminary tally of the year in pharmaceutical M&A, and how it compares to previous years. Spoiler alert: 2015 is another record year in dollar value. Pharmaceutical M&A, 2011 to 2015* 20112012201320142015 Deal volume115103150188167 % change11%-10%46%25%-11% Deal value$44.1 billion$38.1 billion$66.7 billion$213.3 billion$297.4 billion % change11%-14%76%219%40% *= thru Dec.... Read More »

Baxalta’s Predecessor Readies for the Spin Off

Baxter BioScience recently agreed to pay $900 million for the Oncaspar® product portfolio owned the Italian biopharma company, Sigma Tau Financiaria SpA. Oncaspar is a biologic used as part of a multi-agent chemotherapy regimen to treat lymphoblastic leukemia, and is marketed in the United States, Germany, Poland and certain other countries. In addition to the drug, Baxter BioScience also acquired another investigational biologic and an established oncology infrastructure with annual sales of approximately $100 million. Very soon, Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) plans to spin off Baxter BioScience into a new company called Baxalta Incorporated. This deal is a nice going-away present,... Read More »