M & A

South Korea's LigaChem is kickstarting a growth and globalization drive through a potential future acquisition of UK ADC player IKSUDA.

A new report from a domestic institute on South Korea’s biopharma M&A trends shows a pickup in activity, but that this remains relatively weak and small-scale. It calls for broader domestic government support to build expertise, drive innovation and globalization.

Sweden’s Xbrane has struck a deal to transfer its R&D operations in Sweden and its Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) biosimilar candidate to Alvotech, in a transaction worth around $27m. However, Xbrane told Generics Bulletin that it was not getting out of biosimilar development altogether.

Three $1bn+ alliances were penned in February, and one exceeded $2bn.

Both vexed by bankruptcies and opioid litigation, Endo and Mallinckrodt will merge in a deal valued at $6.7bn. The new company will spin out its generics and sterile injectable business.

Direct seller has deals to fully acquire and 51% ownership of Link BioSciences, which formulates personalized supplements. It also announced a deal to acquire Pruvit Ventures, ketone supplements direct seller.

Norwegian firm BerGenBio, Lava of the Netherlands and Poland’s Ryvu are all weighing up diverse options to maximize shareholder value and stay alive, including licensing agreements and mergers.

During Q4, biopharma merger and acquisition deal value reached $9.4bn and drew in $72.8bn in potential deal value from alliances. Device company M&A values reached $395m, while in vitro diagnostics and research tools players’ M&A activity totaled $604m.

A journey began eight years ago continues for Doc Generici – now rebranded as DOC Pharma – as it continues to diversify its offerings beyond conventional generic prescription pharmaceuticals.

Analysts hold back on predicting new heights for B+L until full split from parent firm. It reported Q4 revenue up 9% to $1.28bn and full-year revenue up 16% to $4.79bn.