Multinational Pharma Giants Heavily Invest in CNS, Oncology, and Precision Therapies in 2025

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Industry DynamicsIn recent years, large pharmaceutical companies have been frequently enriching their product pipelines through acquisitions and licensing deals to address issues such as pipeline shortages and key products facing patent cliffs. Since 2025, global pharmaceutical M&A activities have been frequent, with multinational corporations like Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Novartis, and GlaxoSmithKline announcing completed acquisitions totaling over 20 billion US dollars.
 

Novartis recently announced a new agreement to acquire Anthos Therapeutics, Inc. for over $3 billion. Anthos is a private biopharmaceutical company focused on the clinical research stage of drug development and is currently developing Abelacimab, a drug aimed at preventing stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation. The transaction, expected to be completed in the first half of 2025, will enhance Novartis' cardiovascular treatment portfolio.
 

It is reported that Abelacimab is a novel, highly selective, fully human monoclonal antibody therapy designed to achieve effective anticoagulation without affecting hemostatic function by inhibiting coagulation factor XI. In July 2022, Abelacimab received Fast Track designation from the FDA for the treatment of cancer-related thrombosis. In September 2022, Abelacimab also received Fast Track designation for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation.
 

Johnson & Johnson announced in January that it would acquire Intra-Cellular Therapies, a company focused on therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, for approximately $14.6 billion, continuing its expansion strategy in the healthcare field. Intra-Cellular is a U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company specializing in developing new drugs for CNS diseases. Its marketed atypical antipsychotic drug Caplyta saw a significant increase in net sales to $175.2 million in Q3 2024. Its pipeline also includes ITI-214, a PDE1 inhibitor for treating both CNS and non-CNS conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
 

Eli Lilly and Company has reached an acquisition agreement with Scorpion Therapeutics to purchase Scorpion's small molecule PI3Kα inhibitor project, STX-478, for $2.5 billion. STX-478 is a once-daily oral mutant-selective PI3Kα inhibitor currently in Phase 1/2 clinical trials for breast cancer and other advanced solid tumors, aiming to evaluate its safety and efficacy in treating these cancers. Notably, as part of this transaction, Scorpion Therapeutics will spin off a new entity that will retain Scorpion's employees and non-PI3Kα pipeline assets.
 

GSK announced a $1.15 billion acquisition of IDRx’s lead candidate drug, IDRX-42. IDRx is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing precision medicines for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). This acquisition includes IDRx's lead candidate, IDRX-42, a highly selective KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitor being developed for first-line and second-line treatment in GIST patients.
 

From the acquisition information published by multinational pharmaceutical companies, these transactions mainly focus on central nervous system diseases, breast cancer, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. In this regard, analysts believe that next-generation products in the fields of oncology, autoimmune diseases, and precision treatment will attract more industry attention and demonstrate significant market potential.
 

　　Disclaimer: In no event shall the information or opinions expressed in this article constitute investment advice to any person.