CSL Ltd. is out-licensing its interleukin-6 (IL-6) monoclonal antibody, clazakizumab, to Eli Lilly and Co. in a deal that brings CSL $100 million in up-front fees. A CSL spokesperson told BioWorld the deal includes undisclosed milestone payments and sales-based royalties. CSL will retain rights to develop and commercialize clazakizumab for prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with end-stage kidney disease, while Lilly will explore the MAb in all other indications.
Gilead Sciences is stepping deeper into synthetic lethality, licensing a clinic-ready MAT2A (methionine adenosyltransferase 2a) inhibitor from Suzhou, China-based Genhouse Bio Co. Ltd. in a deal worth up to $1.53 billion.
Less than four months after company officials said they would explore options to find ways of maximizing shareholder value, Sensei Biotherapeutics Inc. disclosed the buyout of Faeth Therapeutics Inc. by way of a stock-for-stock deal – news that sent shares (NASDAQ:SNSE) to a closing price Feb. 18 of $26.25, up $17.12, or 187.5%.
Danaher Corp. agreed to acquire Masimo Corp. for $9.9 billion in a move to strengthen its diagnostics business. Under the terms of the agreement, Danaher will acquire all the outstanding shares of Masimo for $180 per share in cash, representing a 38.3% premium to Masimo’s last closing price.
Calla Lily Clinical Care Ltd.’s strategic collaboration with Merck KGaA to support the development of Callavid, its intravaginal drug delivery platform, is a “huge validation” of the work the company is doing, Lara Zibners, co-founder and chairman of Calla Lily, told BioWorld.
Biopharma dealmaking continued its momentum into 2026, with January logging $31.16 billion in total value. That figure outpaced January 2025’s $28.63 billion and exceeded the 2025 monthly average of $24.38 billion. In addition, January 2026 ranks as the highest first month in the past eight years.
Continuing to build on the successful launch of Rezdiffra (resmetirom), Madrigal Pharmaceuticals Inc. is adding six preclinical-stage siRNA therapies to its metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) pipeline in a deal with Ribo Life Science Co. Ltd. and its subsidiary, Ribocure Pharmaceuticals AB, that could be worth $4.4 billion if all milestones are achieved.
Global investors in med tech are confident about exit opportunities in the year ahead. The strategics have already started making acquisitions, the IPO window – which reopened last year – is expected to remain active, and the investment firms have companies in their portfolios that are well-positioned for exit. With fundamentals in the sector still robust, 2026 is expected to reward companies that deliver clear clinical value.
Iambic Therapeutics Inc.’s multiyear technology and discovery pact with Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. could help the San Diego-based firm advance its own pipeline in a big way.
As its GLP-1 rival goes after compounders, Eli Lilly and Co. started the week with news beyond its diabetes and obesity franchise. The company, which disclosed a new agreement with Innovent Biologics Ltd., followed up a short time later with plans to acquire Orna Therapeutics Inc., marking its latest foray in the in vivo therapy space.
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