Thursday, June 12, 2014

Merck Still Open To "Larger" BioScience Dealmaking -- Serious M&A


It was Goldman Sachs' day (8 AM PDT) -- and Dr. Permutter did take at least one oblique swipe at the price of Gilead's SovaldiTM today, by repeatedly emphasizing that a Hep C cure, at an "efficient, effective cost" would be an extremely big win for any pharma able to make it happen. By that, I am certain, he means at something like one half the at-the-moment price tag ($84,000 for 12 weeks) of Gilead's world beating Hep C cure. All oral is the way to go -- and shorter durations (thus the promise of Idenix, on this past "Merger" Monday).

Here's the bit -- via Reuters:

. . . .Merck research chief Roger Perlmutter said the No. 2 U.S. drugmaker would consider big acquisitions of biotech companies for their medicines, rather than to obtain their drug-development technologies.

Perlmutter was speaking on Thursday to analysts and investors at the annual Goldman Sachs healthcare conference being held in Rancho Palos Verdes, at the Terranea Resort. . . .


Seems like that might suggest Merck won't just be buying patent estates -- Dr. Perlmutter wants actual products. Makes sense.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This shoe was bound to drop. Scientists are being laid off in droves inside the company so the full drugs are going to have to come from somewhere. There's hardly anyone left to do anything with just a patent.

Condor, Third Day said...

I hear you.

And I am sure your inside observation would apply company-wide... In fact it would apply to about 7/8ths of big pharma, globally.

Sad -- but true. Thank you for your keen insights! Do stop back...

Namaste

BeenThere DoneThat! said...

I am connecting the dots, and thinking Amgen!