Factbox: Major deals involving U.S. drugmakers and biotechs over the past decade
15/01/2026 12:22
Changes dateline, adds details on Boston Scientific deal in paragraph 1 Jan 15 (Reuters) - Boston Scientific BSX.N is buying medical equipment maker Penumbra PEN.N in a deal valued at about $14.5 billion, to expand its vascular pipeline. The move adds to a growing list of high-profile transactions over the past decade by U.S. pharmaceutical companies to acquire promising therapies in fields ranging from oncology, neurology to rare diseases and obesity. Below are some of the major deals involving U.S.-based pharma and biotech firms from the past decade
| Year | Acquirer | Target | Deal Value | Description |
| 2026 | Boston ScientificBSX.N | Penumbra PEN.N | $14.5 billion | To expand vascular pipeline |
| 2025 | Abbott | Exact Sciences EXAS.O | up to $23 billion | To gain access to Exact Sciences' cancer tests, including flagship colorectal cancer test Cologuard |
| 2025 | Merck MRK.N | Cidara Therapeutics CDTX.O | $9.2 billion | To gain access to Cidara's experimental drug for flu prevention |
| 2025 | Pfizer PFE.N | Metsera MTSR.O | $10 billion | To gain a foothold in the fast-growing obesity treatment market |
| 2025 | Merck & Co MRK.N | Verona Pharma I9SAy.F | About $10 billion | Strengthens Merck's respiratory portfolio amid looming Keytruda patent cliff |
| 2025 | Johnson & Johnson JNJ.N | Intra-Cellular Therapies | $14.6 billion | Expands J&J's footprint in brain disease treatments |
| 2024 | Novo Holdings | Catalent | $16.5 billion (including debt), $11.5 billion (excluding debt) | Boosts manufacturing capacity for Novo Nordisk's popular obesity drug Wegovy |
| 2023 | Merck & Co | Prometheus Biosciences | $10.8 billion | Adds experimental treatment for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and builds up presence in immunology |
| 2023 | Bristol Myers Squibb BMY.N | Karuna Therapeutics | $14 billion | BMY gains a promising antipsychotic medicine as patents on its older therapies near their expiry |
| 2023 | Pfizer PFE.N | Seagen | $43 billion | Builds Pfizer's cancer portfolio amid decline in sales for COVID-related products and generic competition |
| 2022 | Amgen AMGN.O | Horizon Therapeutics | $27.8 billion | Buyout, biggest in the sector in 2022, fortifies rare diseases portfolio |
| 2022 | Pfizer | Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding | $11.6 billion | Pfizer bets big on a new class of migraine drugs |
| 2021 | Merck & Co | Acceleron Pharma | About $11.5 billion | Diversifies Merck's portfolio beyond cancer |
| 2021 | Ginkgo Bioworks DNA.N | Soaring Eagle Acquisition | $17.5 million | Ginkgo goes public through a merger with a blank-check vehicle backed by former Hollywood executives Harry Sloan and Jeff Sagansky |
| 2020 | AstraZeneca AZN.L | Alexion Pharmaceuticals | $39 billion | AstraZeneca's largest ever deal to diversify away from its cancer business, betting on rare-disease and immunology drugs |
| 2020 | Bristol Myers Squibb | MyoKardia | About $13 billion | Bolster Bristol's portfolio of heart disease treatments |
| 2020 | Gilead GILD.O | Immunomedics | $21 billion | Strengthens Gilead's cancer portfolio |
| 2019 | Mylan | Pfizer's Upjohn business | About $12 billion | Mylan's acquisition of Pfizer's Upjohn business was structured as a stock-based merger, resulting in the formation of Viatris VTRS.O. Upjohn was essentially spun off to Pfizer shareholders and then merged with Mylan |
| 2019 | AbbVie ABBV.N | Allergan | $63 billion, $83 billion (including debt) | AbbVie gains control of Botox and diversifies its portfolio beyond its then-blockbuster drug, Humira |
| 2019 | Pfizer | Array Biopharma | $11.4 billion | Pfizer gains oncology asset |
| 2019 | Bristol Myers Squibb | Celgene Corp | $74 billion | One of the largest pharmaceutical mergers in history |
| 2017 | Johnson & Johnson's JNJ.N | Actelion | $30 billion | Johnson & Johnson's subsidiary, Janssen Holding, acquires Actelion; Actelion's R&D unit spun off into Idorsia |
| 2017 | Gilead Sciences | Kite Pharma | $11.9 billion | Strengthens Gilead's position in the field of cell therapy, particularly in CAR-T treatments for cancer |
| 2016 | Pfizer | Medivation | $14 billion | Pfizer acquires blockbuster prostate cancer drug Xtandi |
| 2015 | Shire | Baxalta | $32 billion | Catapults Shire to leading position in treating rare diseases |
| 2015 | AbbVie | Pharmacyclics | $21 billion | AbbVie gets access to what is expected to be one of the world's top-selling cancer drugs and expanding its reach in the profitable oncology field |
| 2015 | Valeant Pharmaceuticals (now Bausch Health) | Salix Pharmaceuticals | $14.5 billion | Makes Valeant a leader in gastro-intestinal drugs |
| 2015 | Pfizer | Hospira | $15 billion | Deal creates leading global established pharmaceutical business for Pfizer |
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