2009 year of large scale pharma deals?
The Financial Times reports that some of the world’s biggest pharmaceuticals companies are likely to embark on a buying spree as imminent patent expiries combine with a greater willingness from biotech companies to sell out.
The leading pharma companies are seeking to compensate for an estimated drop of more than USD 100 billion in sales over the next five years on blockbusters such as Pfizer’s Lipitor, Wyeth’s Effexor, Merck’s Singulair and Eli Lilly’s Zyprexa.
“There are multi-layers of M&A going on at the moment as the big pharma companies look for ways in which to get their share prices up—and these companies are deploying a wider range of strategies to do so than ever before,” said Richard Girling, global co-head of healthcare at Merrill Lynch. MORE
In other news, Reuters reports that GSK is aiming to bolster its business in ’09 with bolt-on acquisitions including moving into the sale of cheap branded generics in emerging markets. MORE
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