Collaboration
The companies have yet to disclose how many programs they plan to collaborate on or what indications they will prioritize.
In 2025, landmark obesity drug deals, China’s biotech surge, and AI’s deeper integration into pharma operations drove a year of transformation and renewed momentum for life sciences.
Roche has already signed several high-ticket deals this year, including the $3.5 billion acquisition of 89bio and Genentech’s $2.1 billion molecular glue pact with Orionis Biosciences.
With more than $1.5 billion on the line, Gilead looks to bolster its CAR T portfolio.
2025 has been a busy year for Boehringer Ingelheim, which has so far inked at least five hefty partnerships—including its latest one with South Korea’s AimedBio for an antibody-drug conjugate therapy for cancer.
Nabla and Takeda first joined hands in 2022, to push “the boundaries of next-generation biologics discovery,” according to the startup’s CEO Surge Biswas.
AstraZeneca has invested heavily in AI, primarily through collaborations, including an up to $5.3 billion partnership with China’s CSPC Pharmaceutical in June.
The centerpiece of the collaboration is the gene editor ABO-101, being developed for primary hyperoxaluria type 1, a rare disease that leads to severe kidney stones.
Regulatory documents show how 89bio’s board pushed Roche hard for a deal valued at $20 per share in upfront and milestone payments.
Novo Nordisk and Heartseed first partnered in 2021 to develop an investigational cell therapy for heart failure.
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