Gilead Turns Back To Virology With $1.4bn MYR Acquisition

MYR’s Hepcludex obtained EU accelerated approval in July, making it the first approved therapy for hepatitis D. One analyst sees the drug as a blockbuster revenue opportunity for Gilead.

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Gilead's 2020 deal-making spree now includes a drug for hepatitis D

Even without its noteworthy involvement in developing the antiviral Veklury to treat COVID-19 patients and subsequent manufacturing and distribution agreements, Gilead Sciences, Inc. has had a busy deal-making year in 2020, with a primary focus on cancer. But with its acquisition of MYR GmbH on 10 December, Gilead is returning to an earlier focus of its business development efforts by obtaining the first approved drug for the hepatitis D virus (HDV), a comorbidity of the more common hepatitis B.

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