Innovations Advanced by M&A

For many early-stage life sciences companies, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) represent a critical path. M&A helps companies unlock the complementary resources and expertise that help advance a new therapy from the lab to patients at scale. For example, Dermira’s acquisition by Eli Lilly & Co. helped bring Ebglyss, a novel monoclonal antibody treatment, to patients living with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD).

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) serve as a critical bridge, enabling innovative companies of all sizes to partner and pair their promising biopharmaceutical discoveries with the resources and expertise needed to turn them into approved medicines for patients.

Life sciences companies of all sizes rely on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to focus on what they do best, and then combine complementary resources and expertise to quickly and efficiently advance new treatments and cures to consumers. In the case of Ignyta’s acquisition by Roche, M&A played a pivotal role in accelerating a new precision therapy to patients battling rare forms of cancer.

For many small and early-stage life science companies, making the leap from research and development (R&D) to manufacturing and distribution of a new treatment can be an insurmountable barrier. Pfizer’s acquisition of Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, for example, accelerated the global distribution of two new migraine therapies, while also allowing the early-stage company to continue pursuing new scientific breakthroughs.  

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are a vital mechanism for transitioning treatments currently in development to approved medicines available to the patients who need them the most. In one such example, the synergies from a life science acquisition brought a revolutionary therapy for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) to patients.

By combining complementary resources and expertise among companies of all sizes – while driving investment across the ecosystem – M&A helps advance innovative new treatments and cures to patients. This was precisely the case for Retevmo and Jaypirica, two first-of-their-kind oncology treatments brought to market through the acquisition of Loxo Oncology by Eli Lilly & Co.

In one of many examples from across the United States’ vibrant life sciences ecosystem, the merger between Alexion Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca helped accelerate the development and global distribution of transformative treatments for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) – a rare and life-threatening blood disease.

In the case of Breyanzi, the merger between Juno Therapeutics and Celgene allowed the two companies to combine their complementary resources and expertise and secure the investment required to bring a novel chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy for advanced forms of blood cancer to patients more quickly.

Yervoy and Opdivo, two groundbreaking cancer therapies made possible through the merger of Medarex and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), significantly expanded the treatment options for thousands of patients with cancer worldwide.

From the complex scientific and regulatory expertise required, to the enormous capital investment needed for state-of-the-art facilities and clinical trials, many companies cannot navigate this path alone. Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are fundamental to shepherding medicines along the path to market, and to patients in need. Such was the case for a first-of-its-kind treatment for Pompe disease.