oncology

Mabion Launches €500,000 Oncology Services Contest

Mabion, a biotech-focused CDMO offering end-to-end services, has announced the launch of a €500,000 oncology services contest at BIO International Convention 2025.

Sun Pharma to Acquire Checkpoint Therapeutics

Indian generic drug maker Sun Pharma agreed to acquire US immunotherapy and targeted oncology company Checkpoint Therapeutics for an upfront value of $355 million. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025 and is subject to customary closing conditions.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals to Acquire Chimerix for $935 Million

Ireland’s Jazz Pharmaceuticals signed an agreement to acquire its compatriot Chimerix for approximately $935 million. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025.

Galapagos Intents to Split into Two Publicly Traded Entities

Galapagos, a biotechnology company headquartered in Belgium, plans to split into two entities: a newly formed company (name to be announced at a later date) that will focus on building a pipeline of innovative drugs through transformative transactions, and Galapagos, which will continue to develop its cell therapy manufacturing platform in oncology.

GSK May Acquire Cancer Specialist IDRx for $1 Billion

In a move to expand its oncology business, GSK is nearing a $1 billion deal to buy a US biotech developing a treatment for rare gastrointestinal tumors.

Dren Bio, Novartis to Develop Bispecific Cancer Antibodies

US biopharmaceutical company Dren Bio, a developer of novel antibody therapeutics, has entered into a collaboration with Novartis Pharma, a subsidiary of Novartis. The collaboration will focus on the discovery and development of therapeutic bispecific antibodies for cancer using Dren Bio’s proprietary targeted myeloid engager and phagocytosis platform.

Merck & Co. to Acquire Harpoon Therapeutics for $680 Million

US Merck & Co., known as MSD outside of North America, intends to buy cancer drug developer Harpoon Therapeutics for $23.00 per share in cash for an approximate equity value of $680 million.

AstraZeneca to Buy Cell Therapy Developer Gracell for Up to $1.2 Billion

AstraZeneca has agreed to acquire Gracell Biotechnologies, a Chinese developer of cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, for up to $1.2 billion. Only on Dec. 12, 2023, AstraZeneca announced that it was planning to acquire Icosavax for $1.2 billion.

AbbVie to Buy Cancer Drug Maker ImmunoGen for $10.1 Billion

US biopharma AbbVie has agreed to acquire ImmunoGen in a deal which values the company at about $10.1 billion and gives AbbVie access to flagship cancer therapy Elahere (mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx), a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) approved for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), as well as a pipeline of promising next-generation ADCs.

FDA Allows Oncology Drug Imports amid Shortage

To boost supply of the injectable chemotherapy drug cisplatin – the US is facing a shortage of oncology treatments – the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will temporarily allow imports of 50-milligram vials from Chinese manufacturer Qilu Pha. Canada’s Apotex would distribute.

Pfizer Takes Seagen for $43 Billion

Pfizer has agreed to acquire Seagen, a global biotech focused on developing cancer treatments, for $43 billion. The announcement comes just a couple of weeks after the Wall Street Journal reported that the two companies were in talks.

Pfizer Doubles Dublin Biologicals Capacity

Pfizer has announced plans to invest more than €1.2 billion at its site in Grange Castle, Dublin, Ireland, to double capacity for biological drug substances.

LG Chem Boosts Oncology Offering with Aveo Buy

South Korea’s LG Chem is to acquire US biopharma Aveo Oncology for an equity value of $566 million. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Aveo is focused on developing cancer treatments.

Ipsen and Marengo in Cancer Collaboration

French biopharma Ipsen and US-based Marengo Therapeutics have formed a strategic partnership that aims to advance two of Marengo’s preclinical immuno-oncology candidates.

GSK Oncology Chief Moves to Bayer

The pharma industry’s poaching season is on, though some say it’s never off, just taking a break. In the latest drugmaker-to-drugmaker side-swap, among the top news this week was that Bayer has hired away GlaxoSmithKline’s head of oncology therapy, Christine Roth, just as the UK pharma was seen to be reestablishing its position in cancer therapeutics.

Lilly and Foghorn in Oncology Collaboration

Loxo Oncology at Lilly and Foghorn Therapeutics are collaborating to create novel oncology medicines based on the latter’s Gene Traffic Control platform. Under the terms of the deal, Lilly will pay Foghorn $300 million in cash upfront as well as making an equity investment of $80 million.

Sanofi to Tap Owkin’s AI for Oncology Pipeline

French drugmaker Sanofi is taking an equity stake worth $180 million in and entering a new strategic collaboration with artificial intelligence (AI) and precision medicine specialist Owkin.

Kite and Sangamo Therapeutics in Oncology Pact

Cullinan Oncology and MAB Discovery Collaborate on Novel Antibody Therapeutics

Management Reshuffle at GlaxoSmithKline

Roche to Pay $1.7 Billion for Ignyta

Bayer Combines Pharma R&D in one Unit

Novartis May Sell Dermatology Generics Arm

Concept Buys CRO Aquila BioMedical

FDA Approves Novartis Breast Cancer Drug

Ipsen Takes Merrimack’s Oncology Assets

The Possibilities Of Peptides

Novartis Splits Pharmaceutical Division

Maya Martinez-Davis to Head Oncology at Merck KGaA

Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Clears Hurdle

Merck Extends Pact with Weizmann Institute

Sanofi Seals two Oncology Partnerships

GSK Outlines Pipeline for Next 10 Years

Sanofi and BioNTech Collaborate on Cancer

Leaving the Patent Cliff Behind