For The Health Sector, Monday Was Marked By Takeovers And Acquisitions
The Wall Street Journal reports that pharmaceutical companies showed that they remain willing to merge with other companies, as Teva Pharmaceuticals acquired Auspex Pharmaceuticals and Horizon Pharma announced that it would purchase Hyperion Therapeutics.
Bloomberg:
Busiest Day For Health Care Deals Is Set To Spawn More
It's the busiest day for takeovers in the health-care industry. UnitedHealth Group Inc. struck Monday's largest purchase — $13.2 billion for drug-benefit manager Catamaran Corp. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries made a $3.1 billion splash back into dealmaking with Auspex Pharmaceuticals. Horizon Pharma agreed to buy Hyperion Therapeutics Inc. for $866 million to treat lucrative rare diseases. And Fujifilm Holdings Corp. is acquiring Cellular Dynamics International Inc., a maker of human cells, for $239 million. (Lachapelle, 3/30)
The Wall Street Journal's Moneybeat:
What Biotech Bubble? Specialty Pharma Stocks Pop Again On Merger Monday
M&A has helped drive the rally in biotech stocks in the past few years. And while many investors have grown concerned that valuations are getting too lofty, pharmaceutical companies showed that they remain willing to pay up for their targets. On Monday, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced that it would acquire Auspex Pharmaceuticals Inc. for roughly $3.2 billion at a 42% premium to its closing price on Friday. Horizon Pharma announced that it would purchase Hyperion Therapeutics for $955.7 million in cash, at a price just 7.6% premium over its closing price Friday but roughly 55% above its price one month ago. The deals announced Monday show how M&A is both reshaping the pharmaceutical industry and rapidly responding to it. Midsize and large pharmaceutical companies have struggled to refill their product pipelines as many of their biggest cash-generating drugs come off patent. (Farrell, 3/30)
On the regulatory and legal front -
The Wall Street Journal's Pharmalot:
Amgen Loses Another Round In Its Battle To Fend Off A Biosimilar Rival
For the second time this month, Amgen has lost a battle over its effort to block a biosimilar version of its Neupogen drug, a $5.7 billion seller that is used to fend off infections during chemotherapy. This time, the FDA denied a citizen’s petition the biotech filed arguing that Sandoz, which plans to sell a biosimilar, violated federal law by failing to provide it with needed information by a specified deadline. (Silverman, 3/30)
Reuters:
J&J, Glaxo Settle U.S. Lawsuit Over Allergy Meds
GlaxoSmithKline Plc has agreed to settle a lawsuit by Johnson & Johnson accusing it of using false advertising at the start of the U.S. allergy season to grab market share. Glaxo received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell Flonase over the counter in July, setting the stage for greater competition. J&J units McNeil-PPC Inc and McNeil Consumer Healthcare filed the lawsuit on March 12, accusing Glaxo of making unsupported claims about Flonase at the expense of McNeil's drugs Benadryl and Zyrtec. (Raymond, 3/30)
