News

Sanofi shifts direction in Q1

Country
France

Faced with declining sales for its diabetes products, Sanofi SA shifted course in the first quarter to strengthen its specialty pharmaceutical business by acquiring the haemophilia product developer Bioverativ Inc and the antibody company Ablynx NV.

Roche raises forecast for 2018

Country
Switzerland

Roche expects to further increase its dividend in 2018 after first-quarter sales grew for the seventh consecutive year, led by new oncology products and Ocrevus for multiple sclerosis. The company is forecasting a low single-digit rise in sales for 2018 at constant exchange rates.

GSK buffeted by strong currency

Country
United Kingdom

GlaxoSmithKline Plc ended the first quarter with a decline in sales and operating profit and a portfolio that focuses investment in three areas: pharmaceuticals, vaccines and consumer healthcare. The big event of the quarter was the company’s move to take full control of a joint consumer products venture from Novartis.

Shire mulls revised Takeda proposal

Country
Ireland

Shire Plc has secured additional time from the UK competition authority to review a proposed bid from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd that values the Dublin-based company at £46 billion. The parties have until 8 May to reach a decision.

Novartis reports rise in Q1 sales and profit

Country
Switzerland

Under the leadership of Vasant Narasimhan, Novartis has reported a rise in sales and operating profit in the first quarter and completed two commercial transactions that will shape the company’s pharmaceutical portfolio in the months to come.

Analysis: Shire’s market value settles at well below bid value

Country
Ireland

After Shire Plc rejected a cash and stock offer of about $63 billion from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co and Allergan Plc reconsidered its statement that it was considering an offer for Dublin-based company, Shire’s market value settled at around $48.4 billion in trading Friday, reflecting investor’s disbelief that a higher bid might be in the offing

Shire sells oncology assets

Country
Ireland

Shire Plc announced on 16 April that it has reached a deal to sell its oncology business to Servier SAS of France for $2.4 billion. The transaction was described by the company as a move to sharpen its focus on its portfolio for drugs treating rare diseases.

Promethera acquires Baliopharm

Country
Belgium

The Belgium-based cell therapy company Promethera Biosciences SA has branched out into biologics with the acquisition of Baliopharm AG, a Swiss developer of therapies for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and cancer. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Funding for lung treatment

Country
United Kingdom

Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd, which is developing compounds for respiratory diseases by targeting unwanted mucus in the lungs, has raised £29 million in an oversubscribed Series B financing round co-led by Versant Ventures and the Novartis Venture Fund.

GSK gene therapy deal

Country
United Kingdom

Orchard Therapeutics Ltd has come closer to its goal of becoming a global supplier of gene therapies following an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline Plc to take over that company’s portfolio of gene therapies for rare diseases.