Dealmaking When Pharma's the Only Game in Town

With no public market to provide competition, the theory among biotech's optimists was that Big Pharma would step in and buy lots of bargains. But cheap prices and easy availability haven't increased drug company appetites: They will only buy what they really want. Deal volumes, both for M&A and alliances, are falling, while Big Pharma has learned to put more of the risk back on biotech. What will change this dynamic, putting more bargaining into biotech hands, is the revival of the public market - and there are hints that such a revival may be on the way.

By Roger Longman and Christopher Morrison

Through much of 2008, a dispassionate observer could not have been sanguine about the prospects for Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc....

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on In Vivo for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Business Strategy

Late-Stage GLP-1 Drug Trials Outside The Cardiometabolic Space

 
• By 

A look at Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and other companies' late-stage clinical studies of GLP-1 drugs in indications ranging from neurodegeneration to oncology, and alcoholic liver disease to autoimmune conditions.

Rising Leaders 2025: Metsera’s Whit Bernard’s Musical Path To Biotech Leadership

 
• By 

Metsera CEO Whit Bernard applies an unconventional leadership philosophy to develop next-generation obesity therapeutics, including monthly GLP-1 injections and oral peptides.

AI In Drug Discovery: The Patent Implications

 
• By 

A Q&A with DeAnn Smith, partner and co-chair of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board Proceedings Practice Group at law firm Foley Hoag.

Is Advanced AI Revolutionizing Sales Enablement In Pharma?

 
• By 

Advanced AI is revolutionizing sales enablement by addressing training gaps and performance challenges. Used correctly, it can help to bridge the sales-marketing divide, accelerate ramp-up times and provide managers with data-driven insights.

More from In Vivo

Rising Leaders 2025: Emma Hodcroft On Taking Initiative When “Plan A” Falls Short

 

Emma Hodcroft, co-founder of Pathoplexus and a key Nextstrain contributor, stresses the importance of career flexibility for young scientists. She urges early-stage researchers to embrace curiosity, using her unconventional path as an example of how curiosity can lead to impactful success. 

How Ethris Cracked mRNA’s “Do Not Shake” Problem To Unlock Respiratory Therapeutics

 
• By 

A German biotech has solved a fundamental physics problem that has limited mRNA therapeutics to injectable vaccines. Its breakthrough stabilizer technology allows mRNA particles to survive the mechanical stress of inhalation delivery, opening the door to treating chronic respiratory diseases.

Execs On The Move: May 2025

 
• By 

An interactive look at recent executive-level company changes and promotions in the biopharma, medical device and diagnostics industries.