Biopharma Out-licensing: 2012’s “In” Thing?

Talk to any big pharma business development executive about dealmaking trends for more than 15 minutes and the word out-licensing is bound to crop up. But are major drugmakers moving beyond the rhetoric and actually giving up rights to individual assets that heretofore would have been deemed too valuable to merit out-licensing? An analysis by IN VIVO suggests yes – but with qualifications.

Talk to any Big Pharma business development executive about dealmaking trends for more than 15 minutes and the word out-licensing is bound to crop up. It’s not hard to understand why: drugmakers face significant cost-constraints thanks to patent expirations and shrinking R&D budgets, and mid-stage pipelines are overly full in the wake of recent mega-mergers. As a result, says Doug Giordano, a VP of business development at Pfizer Inc., executives realize “it is now more attractive to outlicense assets than allow [them] to sit on the shelves.”

And certainly many different groups are bound to be interested in Big Pharma’s deprioritized mid-stage assets. VCs in particular are...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on In Vivo for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Deal-Making

Behind The Buyout: Dispatches From The Dealmaking Table

 
• By 

In a challenging funding environment for biopharma, strategic dealmaking has become a critical growth engine. In Vivo explores what it truly takes to navigate high-stakes acquisitions and partnerships, drawing on insights from seasoned industry leaders.

Deals Shaping The Industry, May 2025

 
• By 

An interactive look at pharma, medtech and diagnostics deals made during May 2025. Data courtesy of Biomedtracker.

Bringing Israeli Medical Device Candidates To The Right Partners In The US

 
• By 

Despite regional unrest, it is business as usual for medtech innovators and investors in Israel as evidenced by continued high-value M&A of locally developed technologies. Irit Yaniv, co-chair of the medtech session at the upcoming BioMed Israel 2025, explained the unique dynamics of Israeli medtech innovation.

Deals In Depth: April 2025

 
• By 

Four $1bn+ alliances were penned in April, and one exceeded $2bn.

More from In Vivo

Crisis Or Opportunity? US MFN Policy Could Test Japan’s Appetite For Reforms

 
• By 

While the adoption of most favored nation drug pricing in the US stands to affect Japanese biopharma firms now heavily reliant on this market, it might also present an opportunity for pricing and policy reforms at home.

Rising Leaders 2025: Ovid’s Meg Alexander On Neurology’s Next Frontier

 
• By 

Ovid Therapeutics' president and COO Meg Alexander is leading the company’s strategic pivot toward innovative neurological treatments, potentially creating a new class of medicines for rare neurological disorders.

The Goldilocks Isotope: Perspective Therapeutics’ ‘Just Right’ Alpha Radiotherapeutic

 
• By 

Thijs Spoor's bet on lead-212 is paying off as Perspective Therapeutics advances three clinical programs with promising early efficacy signals and a comprehensive manufacturing strategy.