Innovations Advanced by M&A

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.

Within the United States’ cutting-edge life sciences ecosystem, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are an essential avenue for companies to be able to harness the resources, investment, and know-how needed to bring innovative new medicines to patients. Such was the case for Yervoy and Opdivo, two groundbreaking cancer therapies made possible through the merger of Medarex and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), which have significantly expanded the treatment options for thousands of patients with cancer worldwide.