As disruptors continue to push into the healthcare arena and pressure builds to cut drug prices, pharmaceutical companies are taking steps to remain competitive and enhance their drug pipelines.
In the last two months, the following drugmakers announced or completed mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and general transactions.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Deals were reported by Becker's Hospital Review, beginning with the most recent.
1. Catalent buys gene therapy maker in $1.2B deal
Contract drug manufacturer Catalent will buy Paragon Bioservices, a privately held company focused on gene therapy production, for $1.2 billion.
2. Bristol-Myers shareholders approve $74B Celgene deal
Despite pushback from several investors, Bristol-Myers Squibb shareholders voted in favor of its $74 billion acquisition of cancer drugmaker Celgene.
3. Novartis to pay up to $1.6B for immunology firm subsidiary
Novartis has agreed to acquire a subsidiary of IFM Therapeutics for a potential total of nearly $1.6 billion, including $310 million up front, and up to $1.27 billion in milestone payments.
4. AstraZeneca to pay up to $6.9B for cancer drug
In a move to enhance its cancer drug pipeline, AstraZeneca agreed to pay up to $6.9 billion to a Japanese drugmaker for the shared rights to a new cancer drug.
5. Thermo Fisher the latest to join gene therapy push with $1.7B deal
Thermo Fisher Scientific will buy Brammer Bio for $1.7 billion, making it the latest company jumping into the fast-growing, potentially lucrative field of gene therapy.