PharmaDeals Review: Latest Articles
All the latest analysis of deal-making activity in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector provided by the experts from the PharmaDeals Review.
- Published on: 2009-02-24 Merck Serono Signs Multiple Sclerosis Deal with Ambrx Merck Serono has bought the rights to ARX424, an experimental multiple sclerosis drug, from Ambrx. The companies are already collaborating on another drug, the growth hormone, ARX201. Merck Serono also took an undisclosed equity stake in Ambrx.
- Published on: 2009-02-20 Shire to Enter European ADHD Market Shire has acquired the worldwide rights excluding US, Canada and Barbados for Equasym® IR and XL from UCB. Equasym, a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), was divested by UCB because it is not a core product, but it fits in very nicely with Shire’s strategy to enter the European market.
- Published on: 2009-02-12 Novartis Pays US$75 M for Portola's Anticoagulant Novartis is to pay US$75 M upfront for the worldwide rights to elinogrel, an anti-platelet drug developed by Portola Pharmaceuticals. In early clinical trials the drug demonstrated several clinical advantages over the current standard treatment, Plavix®, and could fill a significant treatment gap.
- Published on: 2009-02-12 Merck Makes Further Inroads into Biologicals Merck acquires Insmed’s portfolio of protein-based drugs and manufacturing facilities for US$130 M in a bid to accelerate its entry into the lucrative biosimilars market. To date, there is no regulatory pathway for the approval of biosimilars in the US and Merck is moving early so that it gains the necessary expertise and capabilities for when the regulatory process is in place.
- Published on: 2009-02-09 Lundbeck to Buy US-based Ovation Lundbeck has entered into an agreement to acquire Ovation Pharmaceuticals for US$900 M. Both companies have a strong focus on central nervous system disorders and the acquisition would bolster Lundbeck’s pipeline and strengthen its presence in the US.
- Published on: 2009-02-06 GSK Licenses Idenix’s HIV Drug GSK has acquired worldwide rights to an oral non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, IDX899, from Idenix Pharmaceuticals. The anti-HIV drug has increased drug resistance and higher potency, which is hoped would combat the increasing prevalence of viral resistance and side effects associated with this class of drugs.
- Published on: 2009-02-05 Dyax and Biogen Idec Expand Drug Discovery Deal Biogen Idec has expanded its agreement to discover additional antibody products using Dyax’s phage display drug discovery technology. Biogen previously used this technology to develop BIIB-022, which is currently in Phase I trials, for oncology.
- Published on: 2009-01-30 Roche Gets Hostile with Genentech Roche decided to make a hostile bid for Genentech possibly spurred on by the Pfizer and Wyeth mega-merger. Roche had cut its price by 2.8% from its previous friendly offer made in July 2008.
- Published on: 2009-01-27 Astellas Bids US$1 B for CV Therapeutics Astellas made a hostile bid for CV Therapeutics. It follows a previous approach by the Japanese company which was rejected by CVT. Astellas need to gain a greater foothold in the US market and is looking for new products to replace Prograf.
- Published on: 2009-01-26 Pfizer Swallows Wyeth - Could Spark Other Acquisitions Now that Pfizer is digesting Wyeth, it will still face a number of hurdles. Many in the industry are yet to be convinced of the long-term rationale of the merger. Nevertheless, it could spark further consolidation in the industry with weaker companies feeling the pressure.
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