Billion dollar deals kept the second half of 2007 ticking.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) set the annual record by inking an agreement with Targacept valued at $1.535 billion. The initial fee was $35 million, and R&D work was to be directed at neuronal nicotinic receptors across five therapeutic areas. More.
GSK made another huge move when it offered $1.4 billion in milestone fees alone to OncoMed Pharmaceuticals. The aim was to fuel its pipeline with antibodies that target cancer stem cells. More.
As if plunging big dollars into multiple acquisitions in 2007 wasn’t enough, Roche said it would invest $1.331 billion in gene silencing technology through a transaction with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. Roche bought the nonexclusive rights to the firm’s RNAi platform for about $331 million upfront. More.
MorphoSys could earn $1 billion through the 10-year expansion of its collaboration with Novartis. The focus is on mAb-based biopharmaceuticals using MorphoSys’ HuCAL technology. Novartis said as much as 60% of the total value would go toward FTE support, technology transfer, and annual licensing fees. MorphoSys will also receive early-stage R&D funding. More.
GSK snagged another spot on this top-five list with its oncology pact with Synta Pharmaceuticals valued at $965 million. The deal covered advancement of Synta’s Phase III candidate for metastatic melanoma and development of the compound in other cancers. GSK may also purchase up to $45 million of Synta’s common stock as milestone payments. More.
