Drug Hunter 2023 M&A Review: Part 2 – Small Molecule-Focused Deals Countdown

Drug Hunter has sifted through news articles, press releases, financial disclosures, SEC filings, and more to bring you a roundup of 2023’s biggest mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the drug discovery world. In part 3 of this 4-part series, we bring you the top-ranked small molecule-focused deals by value. Covering a range of targets and modalities, this article gives Drug Hunter members in-depth background and analysis of the hottest science opening checkbooks in 2023.

In April 2024, there were promising examples of drug repurposing, significant clinical and regulatory milestones for therapies aimed at rare and pediatric diseases, the initiation of a rolling NDA submission for suzetrigine, substantial billion-dollar acquisitions, and positive trial results were reported for both a D1/D5 receptor agonist and a PARP1 inhibitor. However, the industry also had setbacks as demonstrated by the failed clinical trials for an MNK inhibitor and an NMDA receptor modulator. In case you missed anything, here’s a recap of the most notable news highlights from April 2024!

February 2024 was filled with notable scientific achievements and partnerships. Gilead and Novartis inked billion-dollar acquisitions, and Novo Nordisk and NeoMorph agreed to a $1.46B deal to discover molecular glue degraders. Additionally, Vertex introduced a promising new treatment for cystic fibrosis that is potentially superior to Trikafta. Takeda also made strides by advancing their OX2R agonist TAK-861, for treating narcolepsy type 1, into Ph. III clinical trials. Read this news roundup for more details on these and other drug discovery news stories that you may have missed from Feb 2024

There continue to be opportunities for another KRAS(G12C) inhibitor to prove itself best-in-class.

This roundup highlights twelve KRAS(G12C) molecules to know, with links to recent case studies on Drug Hunter going in more detail.

DILI is a leading cause of acute liver failure, accounting for half of these cases and often resulting in drug withdrawals. Understanding and managing DILI risk as a medicinal chemist involves exploring the intricate interplay among properties and structural features. In this article, we provide a medicinal chemist's perspective on the current understanding of DILI mechanisms, highlight cutting-edge assay developments for a holistic assessment, and discuss strategies for predicting DILI risks.