(Also see "Sweet Enough? Takeda Raises, Adds Cash To Shire Offer " - Scrip, 23 April, 2018.)	Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has further bumped up its offer for acquisition target Shire PLC, raising the per share price and cash component, in what the Japanese firm says is a “compelling” proposal worth well over $60bn. Will it be fourth-time lucky?
(Also see "Biogen Re-Ups With Ionis In Search Of A Neuroscience 'Innovation Engine'" - Scrip, 20 April, 2018.)	New 10-year collaboration, the sixth between the two firms, will attempt to bring seven antisense candidates for neurological indications to the clinic in the next two years. Biogen Inc. pays $1bn up front, split between cash and Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. equity.
(Also see "Merck KgaA-P&G Deal: Complex In Some Emerging Markets But No ‘Dis-Synergies’" - Scrip, 20 April, 2018.)	Merck KGAA’s sale of its global consumer health business to Procter & Gamble Co. is expected to be a somewhat complex affair in emerging markets like India, where it has a listed entity and a seemingly cohesive consumer health and pharma footprint, though Merck's management emphasized that no “dis-synergies” are anticipated.
(Also see "Shire Rejects Multiple Equity-Loaded Takeda Offers, Allergan Declines To Bid" - Scrip, 19 April, 2018.)	Takeda's most recent offer for Shire had an estimated total value of $61bn, but likely included too much equity and too little cash. The companies continue negotiating as an April 25 deadline looms, while Allergan PLC stated it won't bid for Shire.
(Also see "TVM Raises White Flag On Biovertis & Morphochem" - Scrip, 19 April, 2018.)	Deinove acquires from TVM Capital both Biovertis AG and Morphochem AG, plus a Phase II-ready antibiotic asset, for an initial 4% stake worth €900,000. Since their formation, Biovertis and Morphochem have received more than $96m in investments.
(Also see "Servier's Shire Oncology Buy Gives Base For US Expansion " - Scrip, 17 April, 2018.)	With the $2.4bn acquisition of Shire's oncology assets, including Oncaspar and Onivyde, the French drug maker has laid down a marker to become a key player in cancer and sees the US in particular as the land of opportunity.
(Also see "Genentech Bets On Kineta's Early-Stage, Disease-Modifying Pain Therapy" - Scrip, 16 April, 2018.)	Genentech partners with the Seattle biotech on a non-opioid approach to chronic pain. Kineta Inc. says there's disease-modifying potential.
(Also see "Orchard To Use Divested GSK Rare Disease Gene Therapies To Grow Globally" - Scrip, 12 April, 2018.)	Orchard Therapeutics will acquire GSK’s portfolio of approved and investigational rare disease gene therapies, including EU-approved Strimvelis and additional late-stage gene therapies.
(Also see "Alexion's Pipeline Rebuild Plan Targets Wilson's Liver Drug, More M&A Likely" - Scrip, 11 April, 2018.)	Swedish target's sole product WTX101 is in Phase III trials for treating Wilson Disease. Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. says expect more deals.
(Also see "AstraZeneca's License Of Ionis NASH Candidate Illustrates Still Hot Competition" - Scrip, 9 April, 2018.)	Along with last week's acquisition of three NASH candidates from Lilly by Terns Pharmaceuticals Inc., NASH remains a heavily crowded R&D space as the European Association for the Study of the Liver annual meeting approaches.
(Also see "Novartis Goes Big On Gene Therapy With $8.7bn AveXis Acquisition" - Scrip, 9 April, 2018.)	The Swiss major has made a larger-than-expected bolt-on buy, using a large chunk of its $13bn windfall from GSK to get hold of a potential cure for spinal muscular atrophy and an additional gene therapy platform, as well as manufacturing capabilities.
(Also see "OSE Immunotherapeutics Adds Boehringer Ingelheim To Its Pharma Partnering List " - Scrip, 9 April, 2018.)	Collaborating with the German family-controlled drug maker on OSE Immunotherapeutics SA's novel checkpoint inhibitor aligns with French firm's strategy of partnering its portfolio candidates.
(Also see "Shire's Suitors: Takeda, Pfizer Seen As Likely To Bid; Amgen Could Enter Fray" - Scrip, 6 April, 2018.)	Takeda indicates to analysts that it is warming to idea of buying Shire, but do Pfizer or Amgen Inc. make greater sense to acquire the rare disease specialist?
(Also see "'We Jumped' At Opportunity To Take On Pfizer's CAR-T Program, Allogene's Chang Says" - Scrip, 4 April, 2018.)	Former Kite Pharma Inc. exec David Chang is keen to use smaller firm's focus to advance allogeneic therapy more rapidly. The start-up acquired Pfizer R&D team along with its allogeneic CAR-T programs and related IP.

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