Big Pharma’s Busiest Deal-Makers In 2021 Were Less Prolific Than In 2020

Totals for aggregate deals and in the M&A, alliance and divestment categories were similar among the 10 busiest deal makers from 2020 to 2021, but COVID-19 may have driven a more hectic deal-making pace overall in 2020.

Back view image of young businessman standing against business sketch
2021 was a busy deal-making year in big pharma, with M&A up slightly and alliances down a bit • Source: Shutterstock

Roche Holding AG, Genentech, Inc.  and their affiliated companies were the busiest deal makers in the biopharmaceutical sector for the second consecutive year in 2021, with 23 deals across all categories, including mergers and acquisitions, licensing and partnerships, and divestments and out-licensing. That pace decreased substantially, however, from a total of 34 deals under the Roche umbrella in 2020, when the emerging COVID-19 pandemic spurred partnering activity but tamped down the M&A market a bit.

More from Growth

Top 12 Pharma Companies: Pfizer Tops The Leaderboard Again

 

The world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies mostly saw growth in 2024 but 2025 promises to be more of a mixed bag with headwinds including losses of exclusivity, Medicare Part D redesign and challenges in the Chinese market.

In Conversation: Sketching The Future Of Biotech Investment With Lilly Ventures

 
• By 

Laura Lane, European head of Lilly Ventures, talked to In Vivo at the recent Bio-Europe meeting in a fireside chat about how strategic investments are shaping the future of biotech, Lilly's approach to early-stage innovation, and the evolving European investment landscape.

TechBio’s Next Wave: Where AI Meets Biology And Investment Opportunity

 
• By 

TechBio stands at a critical inflection point, where computational innovation meets the reality of biopharma. Industry leaders have begun to cut through the hype and identify where sustainable value truly lies in this rapidly evolving landscape.

Mirum’s Rare Disease Strategy: A Blueprint For Sustainable Growth

 
• By 

From a $7m discarded asset to a $336m commercial portfolio, In Vivo looks inside Mirum Pharma’s disciplined strategy for identifying, acquiring and revitalizing overlooked rare disease programs while building toward billion-dollar potential.

More from In Vivo

HealthTech Innovation Versus Clinician And System Awareness

 
• By 

Bringing AI and digital healthtech innovation to patients works most efficiently via a three-way partnership in which clinicians and cloud services have equal weighting with a powerhouse innovator, Royal Philips told In Vivo during ECR 2025.

In Conversation: Sketching The Future Of Biotech Investment With Lilly Ventures

 
• By 

Laura Lane, European head of Lilly Ventures, talked to In Vivo at the recent Bio-Europe meeting in a fireside chat about how strategic investments are shaping the future of biotech, Lilly's approach to early-stage innovation, and the evolving European investment landscape.

Laying The Foundation And Overcoming Prerequisites To Establish AI Within Health Care

 
• By 

As the health care industry undergoes a digital transformation, the integration of AI into Quality and Regulatory Management Systems is proving essential. The challenges for successful AI deployment emphasize the need for robust digital infrastructure, data literacy programs and privacy measures to enhance patient safety and commercial performance.