Mergers & acquisitions

Two years after forging a partnership to collaborate on microbiome targets for gastrointestinal disorders, France-based Enterome SA and Takeda Pharmaceuticals have entered into a second agreement. This time with a specific focus on Crohn’s disease.

Multiple biotech companies are scheduled to release their quarterly reports next week. BioSpace takes a quick look at some these companies and the announcements they have made through 3Q2018.

Shares of Indiana-based Endocyte have shot up more than 50 percent in pre-market trading after Swiss pharma giant Novartis announced it was acquiring the company for $2.1 billion in cash. The deal will allow the company to expand its radiopharmaceuticals business.

Discovery Life Sciences, a leading research biobank located in Los Osos, California, recently got much, much bigger via a four-company merger. Ann Dover, Discovery’s founder, president and CEO, took time to speak with BioSpace about the merger and the new identity of the company.

The U.S. Department of Justice has given preliminary approval for CVS’ $69 billion acquisition of Aetna after Aetna divested its Medicare Part D business.

Clinigen Group plc announces that it has today completed the acquisition of iQone Healthcare Holding (‘iQone’), which was announced on 27 September 2018 (the “Acquisition”).

MeiraGTx, headquartered in London, UK, acquired Vector Neurosciences in an all-stock deal. As part of the deal, MeiraGTx picks up Vector’s Phase II gene therapy program for Parkinson’s disease.

German company Bayer AG is laying off 227 staffers at its manufacturing plant in Berkeley, California. Most of the cuts took place on October 3.

Clinigen Group plc today announces that it has completed the acquisition of CSM Parent, Inc. (‘CSM’), which was announced on 27 September 2018 (the “Acquisition”).

TxCell SA today announces that the actions provided for by the agreement entered into between TxCell and Yorkville in July 2018 (the “Agreement”), to further improve the terms of its OCABSA financing program in the context of the closing of the acquisition by Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. of a majority stake of TxCell, have now been completed as planned (see TxCell’s press release dated July 23, 2018). The OCABSA financing program is therefore terminated.