Deals in Depth: July 2024
Three $1bn+ alliances were penned in July. In the top alliance by deal value, Dren Bio teamed up with Novartis for the discovery and development of therapeutic bispecific antibodies for cancer using Dren Bio’s proprietary targeted myeloid engager and phagocytosis platform. The deal could be worth up to $3bn. The companies will collaborate to advance selected targeted myeloid engager programs in oncology through clinical candidate selection, at which point Novartis will assume full responsibility for all remaining development, manufacturing, regulatory and commercialization activities. In the top M&A, Eli Lilly penned a definitive agreement to acquire Morphic Therapeutic for $57 per share or approximately $3.2bn. Morphic's pipeline includes integrin therapies for autoimmune and fibrotic diseases and cancer and is led by Phase IIb candidate MORF-057. The selective oral small molecule inhibitor of α4β7 integrin is being evaluated for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. It could provide Lilly with a strong competitor to Takeda Pharmaceuticals' marketed IBD therapy Entyvio (vedolizumab). Financing reached $4.6bn in biopharma, $769m in devices, and $373m in diagnostics.

More from Deal-Making
More from In Vivo
Despite the significant presence of East Asian professionals in the pharmaceutical industry, their representation in top leadership roles remains disproportionately low. This disparity can be attributed to cultural bias, limited access to influential networks, and systemic barriers within corporate structures.
The world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies mostly saw growth in 2024 but 2025 promises to be more of a mixed bag with headwinds including losses of exclusivity, Medicare Part D redesign and challenges in the Chinese market.
Farideh Bischoff, chief medical officer of Heranova Lifesciences, discusses the urgent need for better diagnostic options and the latest innovations transforming care for endometriosis patients.