2024 Boldest Biotech M&A Deals: Top Moves by Big Pharma

The biotech market, sluggish since 2022, showed signs of resilience in 2024, driven by bold mergers and acquisitions (M&A) by global big pharma. These strategic moves targeted advanced technologies, drug candidates, and manufacturing facilities, stabilizing supply chains and opening doors to niche markets. Below are the top five transformative M&A deals of 2024.

Acquirer: Novo Holdings
Target of Acquisition: Catalent
Deal Size: $16.5 billion
Agreement Date: February 2024

Novo Holdings’ $16.5 billion acquisition of Catalent aimed to address manufacturing bottlenecks for diabetes and obesity treatments. The deal involved the purchase of Catalent at $63.50 per share, finalized by year-end.

Novo plans to sell three fill-finish plants in Italy, the U.S., and Belgium while expanding manufacturing capacity for Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (semaglutide). By the end of 2024, Wegovy transitioned from critical shortages to "Available" status on the FDA's drug shortage list. This acquisition, alongside Novo's $30 billion investment in production facilities, including North Carolina, solidifies long-term stability in meeting demand.

Acquirer: Vertex
Target of Acquisition: Alpine Immune Sciences
Deal Size: $4.9 billion
Agreement Date: April 2024

In April, Vertex expanded its autoimmune portfolio by acquiring Alpine Immune Sciences for $4.9 billion. Key to the deal was ALPN-303, a dual antagonist targeting BAFF and APRIL pathways, with potential to treat rare kidney disorders and other autoimmune conditions.

This is Vertex's largest acquisition to date, reflecting a shift from its traditional focus on internal R&D. The company allocated over $4.3 billion for R&D in 2024, emphasizing its intent to strengthen internal research capabilities.

Acquirer: Gilead
Target of Acquisition: Cymabay Therapeutics
Deal Size: $4.3 billion
Agreement Date: February 2024

Gilead’s acquisition of CymaBay marked its entry into the rare disease market. The $4.3 billion deal included seladelpar, an FDA-approved treatment for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

With benefits like Orphan Drug Designation and market exclusivity, seladelpar, launched as LIVDELZI, provides a new option for PBC patients unresponsive to standard therapies. Clinical success in the Phase 3 RESPONSE study underpinned this strategic move.

Acquirer: Eli Lilly
Target of Acquisition: Morphic Holding
Deal Size: $3.2 billion
Agreement Date: July 2024

In July, Eli Lilly acquired Morphic Holding for $3.2 billion, securing a potential blockbuster drug for the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) market. The acquisition price included an 87.2% premium over the 30-day volume-weighted average price of Morphic's common stock. Lilly purchased Morphic shares at $57 per share, completing the acquisition process in August.

IBD refers to a group of conditions characterized by persistent diarrhea or bloody stools, with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease being the most prominent examples. Morphic’s leading pipeline candidate, MORF-057, selectively inhibits integrin α4β7, blocking the migration of inflammation-inducing white blood cells into the gut, thereby reducing inflammatory responses in IBD. Currently, Takeda’s ENTYVIO (vedolizumab) dominates the market by targeting the same α4β7 pathway but is administered via intravenous (IV) infusion.

In contrast, MORF-057 is an oral formulation, offering significantly improved patient convenience. The drug is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Lilly’s decision to invest over $4 trillion KRW underscores the transformative potential of oral therapies to revolutionize a market traditionally dominated by injectables.

Acquirer: Merck, MSD
Target of Acquisition: Eyebiotech
Deal Size: $3 billion
Agreement Date: May 2024

In May, Merck acquired Eyebiotech for $3 billion, marking its reentry into ophthalmology treatment development. Through this deal, Merck secured EYE103, a therapeutic candidate under development for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME).

Currently, the standard treatment for DME involves administering vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors. While VEGF inhibitors are effective for many patients, some show suboptimal or incomplete responses to standard doses, leaving an unmet clinical need in this area.

EYE103 targets the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, inhibiting abnormal blood vessel growth and regulating vascular leakage. Merck’s acquisition of EYE103 appears to aim at addressing these unmet needs in DME through its unique mechanism of action. In September, Merck announced the initiation of a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial for EYE103 in DME patients.