Halfway through 2021, the shortened 4 July working week seemed to prompt a retrospective lamentation on social media and in the press at the low number of acquisitions of biotech companies so far this year. The reduced appetite for biotech buyouts seems to be only indirectly associated with the pandemic, but is fundamentally a good sign for big pharmaceutical companies.
Stock Watch: Why Have Biotech Acquisitions Paused?
Pharma’s Appetite For Biotech Acquisitions Has Declined In 2021
The subdued number of acquisitions of biotech by big pharma has more than one cause. The structural improvement of the process of drug discovery and development at big pharma is the main one.
More from Deals
• By
Deal Snapshot: Lilly is the third company to sign a licensing deal for STAC-BBB with Sangamo, which also aims to secure a deal for its Fabry disease program in the second quarter.
• By
AstraZeneca remains committed to investing in R&D and alliances in China, where Susan Galbraith, the UK major’s head of oncology R&D, sees innovation eventually reaching parity with the US and Europe.
• By
The latest in a long line of restructuring measures will see Sumitomo Pharma making a stepped sale of its pharma operations in Asia to major Japanese trading house Marubeni.
• By
Plus deals involving GV20/Mitsubishi Tanabe, Kaken/Alumis, AstraZeneca/Alteogen and deal terminations involving Clover/Gavi Alliance and Rhythm/RareStone.
More from Business
• By
The US FDA approved anti-CD19 antibody Uplizna, from Amgen’s $27.8bn purchase of Horizon in 2023, for IgG4-related disease – a larger market than its original NMOSD indication.
• By
BeiGene’s Phase III ociperlimab joins the list of failed TIGIT inhibitors, as candidates from Roche, Merck & Co. and others have failed late-stage studies.
• By
It might be the beginning of the end for the orphan drugs party but there is still sales growth enjoyment to be had for the sector, whose star performers are now looking increasingly like mainstream drugs.