GSK/Exelixis and In-Licensing: Earlier, Richer, Rarer

The broad partnership to discover and commercialize drugs in vascular biology, inflammatory diseases, and oncology announced this month between GlaxoSmithKline and Exelixis recalls the halcyon big-deal era of 2000. But the new deal's objects, structure, and value confirm industry changes in the last two-plus years: a focus on compounds, not discovery-stage science; that Big Pharma's poor R&D productivity is becoming obvious even to its research leadership; and that the biotechs who can sign these kinds of deals combine a set of discovery technologies into a package that, theoretically, produces clinical compounds.

The broad partnership to discover and commercialize drugs in vascular biology, inflammatory diseases, and oncology announced this month between GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Exelixis Inc. [See Deal] recalls the halcyon big-deal era of 2000—when in a similarly structured transaction Novartis AG and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. hooked up in a kinase target compound deal potentially worth $800 million [See Deal].

But the new deal's objects, structure, and value confirm industry changes in the last two-plus years. First, like Novartis/Vertex, GSK...

More from Archive

More from In Vivo

Deals In Depth: June 2025

 
• By 

Five $1bn+ alliances were penned in June, and four exceeded $2bn.

Global Pharma Interest In Korea Undeterred Despite Political Roller Coaster

 
• By 

Despite recent political turmoil, outside investor and corporate interest in South Korean biopharma innovation appears robust or even increasing.

Podcast: Oxolife’s Agnés Arbat, Winner Of The European Prize For Women Innovators

 
• By 

Agnès Arbat, CEO of Oxolife and winner of the EU Women Innovators Prize, joins In Vivo to discuss OXO-001, a novel non-hormonal treatment aimed at improving embryo implantation in IVF. She shares insights from her biotech journey and the future of fertility innovation.