DEALS: Novartis leads with two $500M+ deals

DEALS

WHO

WITH

WHAT

SCOOP

Novartis

Idenix

$525M licensing deal

Novartis gains rights to an experimental therapy for hepatitis C.

Novartis

SGX Pharmaceuticals

$515M licensing deal

SGX will develop inhibitors for chronic myelogenous leukemia through Phase I. Novartis will be responsible for late-stage development work.

Merck

Neuromed

$475M licensing deal

Merck has licensed Neuromed's painkilling therapies, one of which is now in a mid-stage trial.

Merck

NicOx

$350M licensing deal

Merck gains the exclusive use of NicOx's nitric oxide-donating technology to develop anti-hypertensive therapies.

Schering-Plough

PTC Therapeutics'

$212M licensing deal

The deal is for PTC Therapeutics' preclinical therapies for hepatitis C and other viral diseases.

Medicis

Ipsen

$90.1M licensing deal

Medicis gets the rights to distribute Reloxin botulinum treatment in the U.S., Canada and Japan.

Hana Biosciences

Inex Pharmaceuticals

$42M licensing deal

The deal includes Marqibo, which is scheduled for a big cancer trial later this year.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals

Targent

$6.5M licensing deal

Spectrum will pay Targent 600K shares for the cancer assets, which primarily involves levofolinic acid, and up to 650K shares more for certain regulatory and sales milestones.

Pfizer

NOXXON Pharma

Licensing deal

Pfizer gained the rights to NOXXON's obesity therapy in a multi-year pact that includes a direct equity investment, an up-front payment and milestones.

Ranbaxy

Terapia

Buyout

Terapia is Romania's largest generic drug maker. Ranbaxy plans to designate Terapia as its central manufacturing operation in Europe.

Dynavax

Crucell

Buyout

Dynavax is buying Germany's Rhein Biotech from Crucell for $12M.

Pharming

DNage

Buyout

Pharming has agreed to buy DNage in an all-stock deal of 4M shares--delivered in installments--along with additional milestone payments.

Johnson & Johnson

Groupe Vendome

Buyout

J&J is buying Groupe Vendome, a French maker of skin care products.

National Stem Cell

Azurel

Merger

National Stem Cell is developing stem cell therapies for diabetes and cardiac injury.

Sankyo

Exelixis

Development deal

Exelixis has signed deals totaling $70M in near-term payments with more than $1 billion in potential milestones and royalties. The work will focus on the mineralocorticoid receptor.