How do you feel when you hear the word “merger”? Some people hear a cashbox “cha-ching!” in their heads and ponder what new enhancements the buying company will add to the purchased company’s products; others cringe and wonder how much longer the lines at the unemployment office will get. Whether you jump for joy or quiver in terror at the thought of another M&A, you still want to know when they happen and which were the biggest ones—and that's where this list comes in.
GEN has compiled a list of the top 25 merger and acquisition deals in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and molecular diagnostics that were completed or announced in 2012, as announced by the companies involved. Some deals include footnotes breaking down the components of the deal price, such as upfront and milestone payments. Premium is the percentage above the closing price on the last day a stock traded shares before the announcement of an M&A deal.