Boom of agreements signed between pharmaceutical companies in 2010, with the aim of expanding into new business areas, above all oncology: the increase compared to the previous year was 20%, according to MedTrack data, the biomedical database of Life Science Analytics.
Pfizer topped the list, with 51 agreements signed up to October 2010, followed by Sanofiaventis (50), Novartis (49), Roche (46) and GlaxoSmithKline (44). In sixth position is Bayer with 31 agreements, followed by Teva (30), AstraZeneca (25) and Abbott Laboratories (20). In tenth place, with 18 agreements, tied are Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co.
Sarah Terry, president of Life Science Analytics, highlights that "the most noteworthy case is that of the French Sanofi, which has climbed to second place from 14th last year and has closed only one less deal than the first in the ranking". As for the therapeutic areas, the 24% of the agreements concerns oncology, followed by diseases of the nervous system (14%) and infectious (8%).
Barbara Di Chiara – Pharmakronos – December 13, 2010
