Life Science News
Merck to Acquire Biopharmaceutical Company Cubist to Strengthen its Antibiotics Portfolio
Merck & Company has agreed to buy Cubist Pharmaceuticals for about $8.4 billion and assume $1.1 billion in Cubist’s debt. The success of this deal will give Merck, which is the second-largest American drug maker after Pfizer, control of Cubist Pharmaceuticals and strengthen its ties with hospitals. The deal fits into Merck’s strategy of purchasing midsize drug makers that complement its existing...
Avanir Pharmaceuticals to be acquired by Japanese Pharmaceutical Giant
Otsuka Holdings, the Japanese pharmaceutical giant announced that it had struck a deal for $3.54 billion to acquire California-based Avanir Pharmaceuticals. Avanir Pharmaceuticals develops treatments of central nervous system disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. This acquisition comes in the wake of a recent tide of deals in the pharmaceutical industry, where big companies are concerned...
Danone Considers Selling its 20 percent Stake in Yakult
The world’s largest yogurt maker, Danone, is considering a sale of its 20 percent stake in Yakult Honsha of Japan which is worth approximately 1.26 billion pounds ($2 billion). Last year, Yakult which makes fermented milk drinks and Danone scrapped a nine-year alliance replacing it with a looser cooperation framework. This move dampened speculation that Danone might seek to acquire the Japanese...
Dutch Pharmaceutical Company Prosensa to be acquired by BioMarin Pharmaceuticals
BioMarin Pharmaceuticals Inc said it would acquire Prosensa Holding NV, a Dutch drug developer for approximately $840 million which includes milestone payments. BioMarin is aiming to add to its portfolio of drugs to treat rare diseases. This acquisition will give BioMarin worldwide rights to several orphan-drug candidates including drisapersen which is used for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy...
Danone receives Joint Offer for its Medical Nutrition Business
Fresenius SE & Company, the German health care group and Permira the European buyout firm have made a joint bid for medical nutrition business of Danone SA. According to analyst estimates that medical unit could be worth approximately €3 billion to €4.5 billion. Danone has been in talks with buyers since March to sell its medical nutrition business. Its medical nutrition business makes food...
Zoetis agrees to acquire Animal Health Assets of Abbott Laboratories
On Monday, Zoetis announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire Abbott’s animal health assets for $255 million. Zoetis was spunoff from Pfizer in 2013. Zoetis’s acquisition of Abbott Animal Health, which is a companion animal health business, will strengthen Zoetis’ companion animal product portfolio and will expand its diagnostics business as more pets are being treated for serious illnesses...
Merck Inks a Deal with Pfizer to Develop Cancer Drug
German chemical and pharmaceutical company Merck said that Pfizer, the American drug giant had agreed to pay $850 million upfront and over $2 billion later in a deal to jointly develop one of Merck’s cancer drugs. Merck said that this alliance with Pfizer is expected to strengthen Merck’s existing oncology business in several important markets around the world, including the United States. The...
Biotechnology Company Dendreon Files for Bankruptcy
Biotechnology firm, Dendreon, whose innovative treatment for prostate cancer was once predicted to become a blockbuster, filed for bankruptcy protection after sales of the drug fell way short of expectations and the firm could not pay a huge debt coming due. Provenge, Dendron’s drug which was launched in the market in 2010, was the first approved cancer treatment that harnessed the patient’s own...
AstraZeneca to Acquire Data-analysis Firm Definiens
AstraZeneca announced that its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, has signed an agreement to buy Definiens which is a privately-held company which has pioneered a world-leading data analysis and imaging technology, known as Tissue Phenomics. This technology dramatically improves the identification of biomarkers in tumour tissue. Definiens’ proprietary Cognition Network...
Gilead Sciences’ Hepatitis C Drug Harvoni breaks Sales Records in the US
A treatment of hepatitis C is set to break sales records for a drug launch despite a price tag of over $1,000 a pill. Manufactured by Gilead Sciences, Harvoni has cure rates of between 94 and 99 per cent. Harvoni is the successor to Gilead’s Sovaldi which has accrued over $7 billion in US sales since it became available in the last quarter of 2013. Harvoni is poised to be even more of a successful...
Sanofi Expands its Generic Drug Portfolio in Dubai through Globalpharma
Sanofi, the drug maker which is based in France announced that through Globalpharma, it has commenced the first phase of local generic drug production in Dubai. This announcement by Sanofi comes after the acquisition of a major stake in Globalpharma by Sanofi from Dubai Investments this year in June. Globalpharma is being integrated as a Sanofi company to become the platform to promote and manufacture...
American Pharmaceutical Firm Steris Corp to Purchase Britain’s Synergy Health
Steris Corporation said that it had offered to acquire a British provider of outsourced equipment-sterilization services, Synergy Health, for around $1.9 billion in stock and cash. Steris Corporation would reincorporate in Britain in what would be the latest proposed inversion deal. This deal would create a provider of sterilization and infection prevention services with around 14,000 employees and...
Ambit Biosciences Corp. to be acquired for $410 Million by Daiichi Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo Co. agreed to purchase Ambit Biosciences Corp. for $410 million to boost its pipeline of cancer treatments. Based in Tokyo, Daiichi Sankyo Co. will pay $15 in cash per share. If certain milestones are achieved, Ambit stockholders will have the right to receive an additional payment of $4.50 for each share they own. This acquisition will give the Japanese company quizartinib, an experimental...
Adaptimmune receives $104 Million Investment from New Enterprise Associates
A global venture capital firm, New Enterprise Associates which has backed the likes of Salesforce and Groupon is now investing in a biotechnology company called Adaptimmune Limited which is developing a treatment for cancer. New Enterprise Associates which has a significant health care business has led a $104 million financing round in Adaptimmune Limited. The round, at the Series A stage, is believed...
Specialty Healthcare Company Endo International makes Bid for Auxilium Pharma
To expand its men’s healthcare products business, Endo International Plc has made an offer to buy Auxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc for around $2.2 billion in stock and cash. In June this year, Auxilium had said that it would acquire QLT Inc, the Canadian eye drug maker in an all-stock deal to move its headquarters to lower-tax British Columbia. Endo said that the company sent a proposal to Auxilium...
Nobel Biocare Holding to be acquired for $2.2 Billion by Danaher Corp
Danaher Corp, an American healthcare conglomerate has agreed to acquire Nobel Biocare Holding AG for an agreed $2.2 billion, also including debt, so that they can expand in the global dental industry. Danaher said that it would pay 17.10 Swiss francs per share of Nobel Biocare in cash, which is around 23 percent above Nobel Biocare’s closing price on July 28, the day before the Swiss firm said...
Chinese Healthcare Website will receive $70 Million Investment from Tencent Holdings Ltd
Tencent, the Chinese Internet giant has invested $70 million in Ting Ting Group also known as DXY, which claims to be the biggest online healthcare service community in China. Tencent will receive a minority equity stake in Ting Ting Group. Tencent’s investment in a healthcare company follows its competitive strategy against Alibaba Group, the e-commerce giant. Alibaba Group has also made several...
Acquisition of Biotech Firm InterMune by Roche
Roche, the Swiss drug maker is to acquire InterMune that sells a drug to treat a deadly lung disease for $8.3 billion. The price, $74 per share, represents a 38 percent premium to the closing price of InterMune on Friday. According a research company, Evaluate, around $87 billion were made in pharmaceutical acquisitions in the first half of this year, surpassing the total for all of 2013. The total...
Healthcare Startup Meedoc Raises $1.5 Million in Seed Financing
The Finnish startup, Meedoc, has announced a $1.5 million seed round funding from unnamed investors from the healthcare industry which spans the fields of pharma, doctors, care providers, and pharmacists. Meedoc, which was co- founded by Mikko Kiiskilä is an app and service that lets patients connect with their doctor online via the medium of video. Telephone consultations are at present widely used...
Siemens Health Information Technology Unit to be acquired by Cerner Corporation
An electronic medical records provider, Cerner Corporation said that for $1.3 billion it would acquire Siemens AG’s health information technology unit. Cerner which is based in Kansas City said that the purchase is expected to add over 15 cents to earnings a share in 2015. Cerner is the fourth-leading supplier of electronic records systems to U.S. hospitals. Siemens had been exploring the sale of...
Flonase Allergy Relief Receives FDA Approval for OTC Sale in US
GlaxoSmithKline announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Flonase Allergy Relief (fluticasone propionate 50 mcg spray) as an OTC (over-the-counter) treatment for temporary relief of the symptoms of upper respiratory allergies or hay fever. Flonase Allergy Relief is the first and only over-the-counter nasal spray indicated for relief of all nasal and eye-related allergy symptoms...
AstraZeneca Announces Immuno-oncology Combination Clinical Trial Collaboration with Advaxis
AstraZeneca announced that its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, has entered into clinical trial collaboration with a US-based biotechnology company, Advaxis, Inc., which is developing cancer immunotherapies. The Phase I and phase II immunotherapy study will assess the efficacy and safety of MEDI4736, MedImmune’s investigational anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor in...
Salix Pharmaceuticals to Acquire Cosmo Technologies and Move to Ireland
North Carolina-based Salix Pharmaceuticals said that it has finalized a deal to buy Cosmo Technologies’s Irish arm. Cosmo Technologies is the unit of the Italian drug maker Cosmo Pharmaceuticals. Salix Pharmaceuticals is the latest US company who seeks to move its headquarters abroad for tax purposes. Under the clause in the deal, Salix will merge with the Irish unit of Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, in...
Spire Healthcare Group Expects IPO to Value Company at $1.6 Billion
A British operator of hospitals, the Spire Healthcare Group said that it expected its IPO in London to value the company at approximately $1.6 billion. Spire said that it expected to price its initial public offering at £2.10 to £3 per share. In the midpoint of that range, Spire Healthcare Group would be valued at around £955 million or roughly at $1.6 billion. Spire Group expects to raise around...
Acquisition of Cancer Drug Maker Seragon by Roche
To acquire Seragon Pharmaceuticals, Swiss pharmaceuticals Roche Holding AG has agreed to pay up to $1.725 billion. Seragon Pharmaceuticals which is a privately-held U.S. biotech company focuses on developing treatments for breast cancer. Roche, which is based in Basel, will pay $725 million in cash and may hand another $1 billion based on the realization of certain drug development milestones. With...
Italian Drug Maker Rottapharm Sets 1.8 million euros Price Range for IPO
Rottapharm, the Italian drug maker said that it expected an IPO of its shares in July to value the company at about $2.46 billion or roughly1.8 million euros. The Italian drug maker, which operates under the name Rottapharm Madaus, said that it expected to price its offering at €7.25 to €9 a share of its 50 million shares. The IPO represents about 25 percent of Rottapharm’s share capital and...
Ranbaxy Wins FDA Approval for Novartis AG’s Blood Pressure Pill Diovan
India’s Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd has received approval from the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to launch a cheaper copy of Diovan, Novartis AG’s blood pressure pill, boosting its outlook after a series of regulatory bans for poor production quality at its India facilities hurt investor sentiments. For $3.2 billion, Ranbaxy is in the process of being acquired by Sun Pharmaceutical...
Investment worth €24 million by Rentschler Biotechnologie in Stainless Steel Bioreactor Manufacturing
Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH, who is a leading contract manufacturing organization for the production and development of biopharmaceuticals, announced that it is going to invest €24 million to build a Twin system with two 3,000 Liters stainless steel bioreactors, mostly targeting market supply at the Rentschler‘s site in Laupheim, in Germany. The Twin system it is expected to be operational,...
Pfizer Inc Signs Cancer Drug Deal with French Biotech Cellectis
To develop CAR-T immunotherapies or Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell in the field of oncology directed at select targets, Cellectis, a French-based biotechnology company focused on oncology, and Drugmaker Pfizer Inc have entered into a global strategic collaboration. CAR-T platform technology of Cellectis provides an allogeneic approach to developing CAR-T therapies that is distinct from other autologous...
In a deal worth $42.9 billion Medical Device Maker Medtronic Acquires Dublin-based Covidien
Medtronic Inc, a U.S. medical device maker said that it had agreed to acquire Covidien Plc for $42.9 billion in stock and cash. Medtronic is also going to move its executive base from Minneapolis to Ireland, where the tax rate is significantly lower. Medtronic said that rather than tax considerations, the deal was driven by a complementary strategy with Covidien on medical technology. This deal will...
Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc to be acquired by Merck & Co
For $3.85 billion, Merck & Co Inc is to acquire Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc. It plans to combine both the companies’ most promising drugs to create a more effective and faster cure for hepatitis C. Merck agreed to pay $24.50 a share for the company, which is more than three times Idenix’s Friday closing price of $7.23. Roger Perlmutter, Merck’s research chief said that the payoff for Merck...
Dutch Antibody-specialist arGEN-X Collaborates with Shire Pharmaceuticals
arGEN-X, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company has entered into a long-term alliance with Shire Pharmaceuticals which is based in Ireland for $20 million. arGEN-X focuses on developing differentiated therapeutic antibodies to treat severe autoimmune diseases and cancer. As part of the deal, arGEN-X will bring its entire range of human antibody discovery technologies to a partnership focused on...
MicroCal to be acquired by Spectris PLC from GE Healthcare Life Sciences
Spectris Plc, a supplier of precision instrumentation and control has agreed to buy MicroCal, a provider of productivity-enhancing instrumentation and controls for an undisclosed amount from GE Healthcare Life Sciences. Spectris said that this acquisition is subject to regulatory approval. The MircoCal business generates approximately $30 million in sales annually. The MicroCal business is focused...
Acquisition of Genia Technologies by Swiss Drugmaker Roche
Roche, a Swiss drugmaker said it was acquiring Genia Technologies, a privately held U.S. gene-sequencing firm for around $350 million. This deal will give Roche access to a technology that should allow it to decipher human genes at a considerably cheaper cost. Gene sequencing is essential for the development and use of new medicines by allowing physicians and researchers to better understand the human...
In a Deal worth $1.4 Billion Nestle Purchases Skincare Rights from Valeant Pharmaceuticals
On Wednesday, Nestle, the Swiss food group expanded its business in the booming skincare market by purchasing the rights to a number of injectable treatments for facial lines and wrinkles for $1.4 billion from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International. Nestle, which is the world’s largest food group, with brands such as Gerber baby food, Nescafe coffee and KitKat chocolate bars had signaled in February...
Calgary Scientific Inc Lands Contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Calgary Scientific Inc has landed a major contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This contract award means that Calgary Scientific Inc’s ResolutionMD viewer which allows doctors to make diagnoses on the go will ultimately be made available to health-care professionals across the Veterans Affairs network. ResolutionMD viewer permits doctors to use tablets or smartphones to diagnose...
CE Mark Received by SynCardia Total Artificial Heart with SynHall Valves
SynCardia Systems Inc. received the CE Mark with SynHall valves for the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart, providing the company with control over the last key component which was required for heart manufacturing. The SynHall valves are only used for SynCardia Total Artificial Heart. These valves has nearly identical manufacturing processes as well as the same design and materials as the tilting-disk...
Prosthetic Arm by Dean Kamen gets approval from FDA
US regulators approved for sale and marketing of a prosthetic arm made by Dean Kamen, the inventor of Segway Human Transporter. The US regulators called the prosthetic arm the first such device which is able to respond to multiple simultaneous commands from a wearer’s brain. The US Food and Drug Administration said that electrodes which are attached to the prosthetic arm, detect muscle contractions...
Alexion’s Soliris Drug Approved by FDA for Treatment of aHUS
Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. publicly announced that the United States’ FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved the company’s sBLA (supplemental Biologics License Application) providing regular approval for Soliris® (eculizumab) which is used for the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with aHUS (atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome) to inhibit complement-mediated TMA (thrombotic microangiopathy). This...
Merck’s Consumer Health Business to be bought by German Pharmaceutical Company Bayer
For $14.2 billion, Bayer AG, a German pharmaceutical and chemical company plans to acquire consumer health business of Merck & Company. This deal would expand Bayer’s range of non-prescription medications. The deal would also give the German drugmaker control over well-known household brands such as Dr. Scholl’s, Claritin and Coppertone. Chief Executive Officer of Bayer, Marijn Dekkers...
Currency Controls Forces Ford to Halt Vehicle Assembly in Venezuela
According to workers at the Ford plant in Venezuela, the U.S. automaker has halted operations in Venezuela due to a lack of foreign currency to import parts for assembly. Like many other private businesses in Venezuela, automakers have been complaining that the socialist government’s currency controls are preventing the carmakers from importing essential products because of restrictions and delays...
Merck & Co in Advanced Talks to sell its Consumer Healthcare Unit to Bayer AG
According to sources, Bayer AG, a German drugmaker is in active talks to acquire consumer healthcare unit of Merck & Co Inc. This deal’s will value the healthcare unit at around $14 billion. One of the final contenders in the auction, Reckitt Benckiser Group said that it was no longer in talks to acquire the Merck business. This leaves Bayer in the prime position to win the asset. The healthcare...
Goodman Fielder Rebuffed a Takeover Bid by First Pacific and Wilmar International
One of Australia’s largest consumer food products companies, Goodman Fielder said that that it had refused a takeover bid by Hong Kong’s First Pacific Company and Singapore’s Wilmar International. Singapore’s Wilmar International whose biggest shareholders are Archer Daniels Midland, the American agribusiness giant and Robert Kuok, a Malaysian billionaire, is one of Asia’s biggest agricultural...
Warburg Pincus Shells Out $100 Million for Majority Stake in PayScale
Warburg Pincus, a private equity firm has agreed to take a majority stake in PayScale, a software startup which offers compensation data to companies as well as individuals. The private equity firm will invest up to $100 to recapitalize and grow the company to allow it to develop software tools and new data for the human resources market. PayScale which is a Seattle-based Company was founded in 2000...