Mergers & Acquisitions News

ROCHE was expected to increase its bid for the 44% of GENENTECH it does not own, after the US biotech urged its shareholders to reject a $42bn bid.

LUNDBECK of Denmark is set to expand its presence in the US with theacquisition of specialty firm OVATION.

CEPHALON launched a takeover offer for Australian biotech ARANA.

Licensing:

MERCK & CO acquired INSMED's follow-on biologics platform and divested the US rights for glaucoma therapy franchise Timoptic to ATON.

UCB transferred ex-US rights to ADHD drug Equasym to SHIRE, providing thelatter with an entrance into the European market, and sold itsantihaemorrhagic drug Somatostatine to EUMEDICA

GLAXOSMITHKLINE began a worldwide licence agreement with IDENIX for itsPhase II antiretroviral IDX899.

NOVARTIS licensed PORTOLA's anticlotting candidate elinogrel. Cephalonexercised its option for worldwide rights to IMMUPHARMA's Lupuzor, forsystemic lupus erythematosus, and MERCK KGaA expanded its collaborationwith AMBRX through a second licensing deal, for multiple sclerosis therapyARX424.

SIGMA-TAU will help develop and commercialise DOR BIOPHARMA's orBec, forgraft-versus-host disease, in North America .

In Europe, EISAI will market BIAL's anticonvulsant Zebinix, whileMUNDIPHARMA began an alliance with NOVELOS for non-small cell lung cancertherapy NOV-002 covering both Europe and Japan.

CHUGAI will develop and market ROMARK's nitazoxanide as a treatment forchronic hepatitis C in Japan , where ABBOTT has acquired the rights toSUCAMPO's lubiprostone, for chronic idiopathic constipation.

ENDO acquired North American rights to GRUENENTHAL's analgesic axomadol,began an oncology drug discovery collaboration with AURIGENE, but returnedthe rights to DURECT's Transdur-Sufentanil opioid patch.

LILLY began a CNS drug discovery and development deal with NEUROSEARCH,and licensed its IC14 monoclonal antibody, for acute lung injury, toIMPLICIT.