November 7, 2018 — With the recent announcement by Novartis to acquire Endocyte , interest from the conventional pharmaceutical industry towards radiopharmaceuticals and in particular radiotherapeutics and radiotheranostics is clearly growing, as foreseen a few years ago by MEDraysintell.
Numerous major acquisitions have involved the conventional pharmaceutical industry over the past four years:
- In 2014, Bayer acquired Algeta ASA and its major drug for end-stage prostate cancer treatment 223Ra-Xofigo for about NOK 17.6 billion ($2.9 billion), while Novartis took over Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) and its Neuro Endocrine Tumor treatment 177Lu-Lutathera in January 2018 for a total value of $3.9 billion;
- Additionally Novartis announced in October 2018 the acquisition of the company Endocyte developing the prostate cancer drug 177Lu-PSMA-617 for a total value of $2.1 billion. This transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019.
- Ipsen Pharma acquired in May 2015 the German company OctreoPharm Sciences GmbH, for a total of EUR 50 million (about $55 million) and one year later a large part of the radiopharmaceutical pipeline of the German company 3B Pharmaceuticals GmbH; and
- Sun Pharmaceutical Industries acquired Pharmalucence in July 2014 for an undisclosed amount.
MEDraysintell noted that other mergers within the radiopharmaceutical industry showed consolidation of this industry:
- IBA Molecular acquired the Nuclear Medicine business of Mallinckrodt in January 2017 for a total of about $690 million;
- Jubilant Draximage acquired the Triad Isotopes radiopharmacy network in May 2017; and
- Sofie Biosciences took over Zevacor Pharma in May 2017.
The company said there are great chances that additional mergers and acquisitions (M&A) will take place within the next 12 months. At the same time, the conventional pharmaceutical industry is now looking for new opportunities in early-stage research programs in this area. MEDraysintell anticipates that the global market will reach $5.9 billion in 2019, and it is now expected that radiotherapeutics will represent more than 60 percent of the $26 billion nuclear medicine market by 2030.
Most of the development of new radiopharmaceuticals is performed by new medium-sized radiopharmaceuticals companies and conventional pharmaceutical corporations. MEDraysintell said these companies are extensively covered in the new Nuclear Medicine Report & Directory, Edition 2018.
For more information: www.medraysintell.com
November 29, 2023 
