IR Licensing and Partnerships

Eli Lilly has agreed to acquire AtaiBeckley for up to $3.8 billion, adding a pipeline of neuroplastogen-based treatments.

AstraZeneca acquires global rights to approved EGFR exon 20 inhibitor Zegfrovy, Chai Discovery strikes an undisclosed AI antibody collaboration with Novartis, and Innovent Biologics licenses its CD40L antibody IBI355 to Spero Therapeutics.

Insilico Medicine has deepened its partnership with China Medical System Holdings with a second CNS-focused collaboration in three months, pairing Insilico's PandaOmics-identified mechanism with CMS's clinical and commercial infrastructure in a deal worth up to $177 million in milestones.

Chemomab and Scipher Medicine agreed to merge in an all-stock deal to advance an anti-CCL24 antibody into an AI-guided Phase II rheumatoid arthritis trial, while Teva struck a global licensing deal with Polpharma Biologics for exclusive commercialization rights to a proposed ocrelizumab biosimilar across major markets.

The acquisition adds Myricx’s NMTi ADC delivery platform to Novartis’ pipeline.

AlzeCure Pharma has licensed its NeuroRestore platform and lead CNS candidate ACD856 to QuantumCell ApS, following positive Phase Ib safety and pharmacokinetic data.

Zymeworks and Ipsen each announced acquisitions this week, with Zymeworks paying roughly $929 million for Theravance Biopharma to gain commercial COPD royalties and tax assets, and Ipsen committing up to $1.75 billion for Kartos Therapeutics to add navtemadlin.

Biogen has agreed to acquire private immunology biotech RayThera for up to $1 billion, adding a suite of undisclosed small molecule anti-inflammatory candidates to its pipeline.

Protillion Biosciences and AbCellera each secured platform-based drug discovery deals this week, with Protillion partnering with Merck on multi-target protein engineering in a deal worth up to $510 million and Jazz Pharmaceuticals committing up to $84 million upfront to AbCellera for T-cell engaging multispecific antibodies in gastrointestinal cancers.

AlzeCure Pharma has licensed Alzheimer's candidate ACD680 to Eli Lilly in a deal worth potentially more than $1 billion, adding an oral gamma-secretase modulator that targets amyloid production upstream to Lilly's Alzheimer's portfolio.

GSK has agreed to acquire Nuvalent in a deal that secures two next-generation NSCLC inhibitors under active FDA review with potential year-end launches.

With more than $43 billion committed in five months, the pharma industry isn't just licensing from China, it's restructuring where global drug discovery begins.

Roche has struck an exclusive collaboration with Nurix Therapeutics to co-develop BTK degrader bexobrutideg, paying over $700 million upfront in a deal that could top $3 billion in total.

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has partnered with Inceptive to apply generative AI to siRNA design, pairing Inceptive's biology-trained models with Alnylam's two decades of proprietary RNAi data to accelerate candidate discovery.

Ascidian Therapeutics has entered a global research and licensing deal with Eli Lilly to develop RNA exon-editing therapies for monogenic kidney diseases, a class of genetic conditions with an unmet need for treatment.

A trio of deals from Eli Lilly, Servier, and Avenzo highlights continued industry investment in rare diseases and oncology, spanning gastrointestinal disorders, muscular dystrophy, and next-generation cancer therapeutics.

Eli Lilly enters three separate acquisitions totaling $3.83 billion in a push into vaccines and infectious diseases, signaling a strategic expansion into prevention-focused medicines.

Eli Lilly acquires Engage Biologics in up to $202 million deal to strengthen its genetic medicines portfolio with a non-viral DNA delivery platform designed to improve durability, tolerability, and re-dosing potential.

Regeneron and Parabilis Medicines partner to discover and develop antibody-Helicon conjugates, aiming to create a new class of therapies capable of targeting historically “undruggable” intracellular proteins.

Rigel Pharmaceuticals has licensed Veppanu, positioning the company to expand into protein degradation-based oncology treatments for ESR1-mutated metastatic breast cancer.

Boehringer Ingelheim has licensed a preclinical antibody program from Immunitas Therapeutics for inflammatory diseases, signaling continued demand for earlier-stage immunology assets.

In today's Pharmaceutical Executive Daily, Angelini Pharma announces a $4.1 billion agreement to acquire Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Incyte presents 24-week results from the Phase III TRuE-AD4 trial of Opzelura, and Pharmaceutical Executive speaks with Charlie Lyon of the API Innovation Center on what the conversation about bringing pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the United States is still missing.

Angelini Pharma acquires Catalyst Pharmaceuticals in a $4.1 billion deal, expanding into the U.S. rare disease market and adding a portfolio of approved neuromuscular and neurological therapies.

Madrigal and Bayer strike billion-dollar deals to expand pipelines, with Madrigal licensing a PNPLA3-targeting siRNA for MASH and Bayer acquiring Perfuse Therapeutics to strengthen its ophthalmology portfolio.

UCB enters agreement to acquire Candid Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $2.2 billion, adding BCMA-targeting T-cell engager cizutamig to expand its immunology pipeline.