Top Large Molecule M&A Transactions in 2021

Among the small molecule highlights in January’s news were a $100M+ Series A for a PARP1 + PI3Kα-focused company, clinical data with an SLC inhibitor for PKU, a 5-HT2C superagonist for seizures, and a NK1,3 dual antagonist for women’s health. A novel anti-obesity agent from phenotypic screening also made headlines, and the close of a major acquisition may bring relief to the industry. You can read about these notable scientific highlights and more below.

This article highlights million-dollar molecules that were recently in the news with related patent applications that give clues to their structures and properties. This edition includes Maze’s glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) inhibitors that were recently licensed to Sanofi, allosteric androgen receptor (AR) modulators that may be of interest to targeted protein degradation researchers, brain-penetrant HER2 and ROCK2 inhibitors, and MDM2 degraders.

PRMT5 is an epigenetic “synthetic lethality” target that has attracted much attention among drug hunters. The first generation of PRMT5 inhibitors was limited by systemic toxicities resulting in a cooling of industry interest, until the recent identification of tumor-specific inhibitors. These second-generation compounds target the MTA:PRMT5 complex in MTAP-deleted cancers—15% of all tumors—leading to a revival of the target. Read on to find out which companies are prevailing in the search for a first-in-class PRMT5 inhibitor and how their clinical compounds differentiate.

In case you missed August’s business news, here’s a quick recap of five headlines, including an acquisition, three funding rounds, and a notable company closure.

Companies inked notable high-profile transactions in March 2024, including AbbVie's purchase of Landos Biopharma for $137.5M, AstraZeneca's $2.4B acquisition of Fusion Pharmaceuticals, and its subsequent deal to buy Amolyt for up to $1.05B. The FDA approved the first treatment for MASH. In parallel, expectations are high for the approval of Xcovery's ALK inhibitor, ensartinib. Praxis made headlines with PRAX-628, a next-generation oral NaV modulator, which showed anti-seizure efficacy in a Ph. IIa trial. Read below for more details on these and other drug discovery news stories from March 2024