Paris-based Enodia Therapeutics announced the acquisition of preclinical assets from San Francisco-based Kezar Life Sciences’ pipeline. Both companies are developers of small molecules that target protein degradation, a field that is attracting significant attention for its potential to treat previously intractable diseases.
Italian drugmaker Alfasigma has struck a licensing deal to take over global rights to linerixibat, GSK’s late-stage candidate for cholestatic pruritus in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), in a transaction that could be worth up to $690 million to the British pharma group. Under the agreement, GSK will receive $300 million upfront, with additional regulatory and commercial milestones plus tiered double-digit royalties on worldwide sales.
French pharma giant Servier is spending US$2.5bn to snap up Day One Biopharmaceuticals, gaining a key approved drug for difficult childhood brain tumours along with several promising pipeline candidates.
Takeover in Wuppertal: Aicuris Anti-Infective Cures AG, which specializes in active ingredients for infectious diseases, is being acquired by Japanese pharmaceutical company Asahi Kasei for almost €800 million (around US$920 million). The company, founded by former Bayer employees Helga Rübsamen-Schaeff and Holger Zimmermann using substances from Bayer, had obtained its own approval and is currently in late-stage clinical development with active ingredients that are currently being presented with positive data at scientific conferences.
While much of the biotech industry is focused on meetings and dealmaking at the J.P. Morgan (JPM) Healthcare Conference, a rumor has cut through the JPM noise. The possibility of Eli Lilly making a move on Abivax is back on the table, with a price tag that would imply a valuation close to twice the French company’s current market capitalisation at €8.4 billion ($9.8 billion).
Amgen has agreed to acquire Dark Blue Therapeutics in a deal valued at up to $840 million, as the biopharmaceutical company continues to build out its early-stage oncology pipeline. The specific breakdown of the upfront payment alongside development and regulatory milestones was not disclosed in the press release.
Sobi AB has completed the US$1.5bn acquisition of Chinese Arthrosi Therapeutics Ltd. Its lead candidate, pozdeutinurad, a URAT1 inhibitor for gout, is in pivotal global Phase-III trials, with China licensing targeting approval by 2028.
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.
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.
VC investments in biotech rose 70.9% in Q3 2025 to US$3.1bn, driven by Series D growth, M&A activity, and Fed interest rate cuts, reports Global Data. J.P. Morgan reports same trends but different figures.
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