Leica Biosystems GmbH, agreed to buy Statlab Medical Products in a move that will strengthen parent company Danaher Corp.'s diagnostics and anatomical pathology portfolio with a broader range of consumables and instruments. Although the financial terms were not disclosed, RBC Capital Markets analyst Dan Leonard reckoned that the deal could be valued at more than $1 billion.

Biopharma deal value through the first half (H1) of 2026 reached $170.11 billion, surpassing every prior year in BioWorld’s records, including 2025’s $139.35 billion, the previous high-water mark. June was the second-strongest month of H1 at $34.59 billion, trailing only May’s $41.95 billion.

Mirador Therapeutics Inc. has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Kira Pharmaceuticals for KP-301, a long-acting anti-C5a antibody with potential to treat ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Rumblings that psychedelic treatments would soon be ready for prime time gained credence aplenty, and shares of Ataibeckley Inc. (NASDAQ:ATAI) ended July 16 at $7.15, up $1.79, or 33%, as Wall Street learned that Eli Lilly and Co. is taking over the psychedelics firm for $6.75 per share in cash plus up to $2.50 per share in the form of a contingent value right related to milestones for two Ataibeckley compounds.

Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. has taken a new step in the evolution of China’s “newco” strategy, combining its newly created U.S. company, Avere Therapeutics Inc., with Nasdaq-listed Nextcure Inc. in a deal designed less to merge pipelines than to create a public vehicle for global development of a China-originated asset.

Astrazeneca plc has added a dual PDE3/4 inhibitor candidate to its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) portfolio via a deal worth up to $2.1 billion with Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., a Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd. subsidiary.

Another day, another two multibillion-dollar deals with Asian companies, this time involving Dizal Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and its EGFR inhibitor for lung cancer, as well as Innovent Biologics Inc. and its anti-CD40L antibody for a chronic fibroinflammatory condition.

Med-tech M&As through the first half (H1) of 2026 reached $75.73 billion in collective value, the highest H1 total since 2022’s $120.4 billion and well above every other year in BioWorld’s records. June contributed $12.21 billion, a rebound from May’s relatively quiet $1.51 billion.

Astrazeneca plc has added a dual PDE3/4 inhibitor candidate to its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) portfolio via a deal worth up to $2.1 billion with Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., a Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd. subsidiary.