Elpiscience Biopharma Ltd. is out-licensing to Astellas Pharma Inc. two preclinical bispecific macrophage engagers – ES-019, an anti-PD-L1/SIRPα bispecific antibody, and another unnamed program – in a deal worth up to $1.7 billion. The deal marks the Shanghai-based company’s first out-licensing deal, Elpiscience CEO Darren Ji told BioWorld, noting that Astellas will have global rights to both molecules with a potential to in-license two more.

Echoing trends seen last year, the med-tech industry concluded 2023 with a continued surge in deal value juxtaposed against a more substantial decline in M&A value. Deal value for the year, including licensings, collaborations and joint ventures, reached $10.63 billion from 1,656 deals, the highest annual value in BioWorld’s records.

Two big pharma firms placed high offers on Dec. 26 to acquire companies focused on radiopharmaceuticals and cell therapies in what Evercore ISI analysts are calling a “good sign for the end of the year.”

Adam Lenkowsky, chief commercial officer for Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMS), said his firm plans to launch Karxt (xanomeline-trospium) in the U.S. as soon as it’s approved by the U.S. FDA, and “expect[s] to accumulate sales in early 2025.” BMS tied a bow on the year by disclosing its plan to pay $330 per share to take over Karuna Therapeutics Inc. in a deal valued at $14 billion to bring aboard Karxt, which acts as a dual M1/M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist. The FDA has assigned Sept. 26, 2024, as the PDUFA date for Karxt as a new treatment for schizophrenia in adults.

A threat to biopharma innovation arrived at a larger scale in 2023 in the form of greater U.S. FTC scrutiny, calling into question the legitimacy of certain M&As and deals.

The spate of recent deals involving antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) continues in a field composed of record-breaking agreements in 2023. The newest of the deals were focused on Asia. GSK plc entered a license deal for the exclusive rights for clinical development and commercialization of Hansoh Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s B7-H3-targeted ADC, HS-20093. Also, South Korea’s Dong-A ST Co. Ltd. is expanding into the ADC space by acquiring Abtis Co. Ltd. and its Abclick platform for ADC drug development.

Henry Schein Inc., long known primarily as a dental equipment distributor, added two deals to its 2023 roster that will expand its presence in the orthopedics market. The company agreed to acquire a majority interest in Trimed Inc., which focuses on solutions for treatment of the upper and lower extremities and entered into a strategic relationship with Extremity Medical LLC.

Biopharma deals totaled $18.97 billion in November, marking a notable decrease from October’s historic deal value of $44.91 billion. Even still, through the first 11 months of 2023 cumulative deal value reached $194.26 billion, an 18.65% gain over the $163.73 billion recorded in the same period in 2022.