Deals & M&A

France’s Ipsen has taken an exclusive option on two neurodegenerative disease programs at US biotech Exicure, whose oligonucleotide nanoparticles are taken up by many tissues, including the brain.

Taking full control of partner Translate Bio means that Sanofi is the only big vaccine company with a wholly-owned mRNA platform in-house but observers say it is too early to declare that the Paris-headquartered group has bagged itself a bargain.

Glenmark hopes to launch SaNOtize’s nitric oxide nasal spray for COVID-19 in India by the fourth quarter of 2021 post Phase III trials, as part of wider deal that covers other Asian markets. Can the self-administered product impact market dynamics positioned as the first line of defense against COVID-19?

Japanese firm again links with an earlier venture capital partner and some familiar faces to progress its norovirus vaccine outside Japan.

Mergers and acquisitions are set to gain momentum in South Korea as firms outside the sector seek new growth engines and more open-minded biopharma companies seek rapid growth and globalization.

Merck's new CEO Robert Davis talked about his vision for business development and how the company might use the $9bn gained from the spinout of Organon.

Ipsen has inked a worldwide collaboration pact with BAKX Therapeutics to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize the biotech’s asset BKX-001 as a potential treatment for leukemia, lymphoma and solid tumors.

Private California venture will bring additional expertise and novel platforms to acquisitive biotech giant as it looks to expand its interests in bispecific and multispecific antibody technologies.

Ogranon will pay $25m upfront for worldwide commercialization rights to ebopiprant for acute preterm labor, which currently has no approved treatments in the US.

Deal Snapshot: The company is looking to expand its pipeline beyond Alzheimer’s, where it hit a speedbump in September with the failure of a tau-targeting drug.

South Korean firm teams with Speragen to develop enzyme-replacement therapy for the genetic disorder and with Mirum for maralixibat. Plus deals involving Takeda/PeptiDream, Hanmi/LegoChem, Sun/Cassiopea, LegoChem/Cellectar, ChubLab/CJ CheilJedang Corp., Alebund/Chugai, Kintor/Fosun, Astellas/ExCellThera and I-Mab/neoX/Immorna.

Pfizer agreed to pay up to $2.4bn to share development and commercialization costs for Arvinas’ estrogen receptor degrader, including in combination with Ibrance.