Entries by Thomas Gabrielczyk

Novo and Pfizer in Metsera takeover battle

Danish Novo Nordisk A/S has made an unexpected takeover bid for US biotech Metsera, Inc. This challenges the already agreed acquisition by Pfizer Inc. Novo offers US$6.5bn in cash, plus up to US$2.5bn in milestone payments. The total potential value is around US$9bn. Pfizer previously offered US$4.9bn plus US$2.4bn in milestones.

NATO elevates biotech to defence priority

The NATO is clearly priorising biotech to a defence priority with an annual budget of potentially up to €500m for biotech start-ups starting from 2026. At the opening of the first ever NATO Biotechnology Conference, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said: “Between last year and this year, we funded a total of 28 promising biotechnology companies through the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA)”. Rutte indicated that DIANA’s budget could grow significantly in the medium term, potentially up to five-fold.

Novartis acquires Avidity Biosciences for US$12bn

In a major bet on RNA medicine, Swiss Novartis AG announced to buy Avidity Biosciences Inc for US$12bn. Avidity’s Oligonucleotide Conjugate (AOC) platform allows Transferin receptor-targeted RNA delivery to muscle. With the acquisition Novartis secures access to three late-stage RNA drug candidates for muscular dystrophies.

Synbio alliance strengthens EU corticosteroid supply chain

The French AI-synbio specialist Abolis Biotechnologies SAS has entered a strategic €140m alliance with API manufacturer EuroAPI SA under the IPCEI Med4Cure funding programme. Within the collaboration, Abolis is developing production chassis for microbial corticosteroid manufacturing. The goal: to make Europe independent from imports from Asia.

Ipsen acquires ImCheck in US$1bn deal

Pharma giant Ipsen will pay US$1bn to acquire French immuno-oncology firm ImCheck Therapeutics SAS. The deal includes US$350m upfront and up to US$650m in milestone payments. ImCheck focuses on butyrophilins, a new class of immune regulators, through its antibody programme ICT01, currently in Phase I trials.