Which are the best dealmakers in the biopharma business?

Boston Consulting Group gathered input from executives around the country and found that Roche and Merck scored the highest, according to In Vivo, with Roche singled out for such stellar qualities as deal structure flexibility, leadership, alliance management and manufacturing expertise. Merck, meanwhile, was given top honors for responsiveness, access to the BD/licensing group and their ability to deliver success after the deal is signed.

Also scoring high were GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Eli Lilly and Pfizer. And Celgene managed to squeeze into the mix with a top reputation for striking a favorable deal. BCG partner Simon Goodall tells In Vivo that the survey has been tracking steadily rising approval ratings for the big dealmakers over the past eight years. And one of the keys to success has been a willingness to shift focus with the biotechs, which are now more interested in keeping some measure of control over their assets than they are in a pharma company's commercial capability.

Of all the companies, Pfizer earned a reputation as the company that pays the most for a deal. That may be a distinction that the company, also cited for global reach, would just as soon avoid.

- here's the story from In Vivo