DARMSTADT, June 26, 2026 — Merck KGaA (MKKGY) announced Thursday it has agreed to acquire Bio-Techne (TECH) in an all-cash transaction valued at $11.3 billion, marking the German group’s largest acquisition in more than a decade. The deal gives Merck a significant foothold in high-growth reagent and diagnostic assay markets, adding Bio-Techne’s extensive portfolio of antibodies, proteins, and advanced cell and gene therapy tools.

Merck KGaA has telegraphed appetite for scale-driven deals, and the transaction positions its life science division to compete more directly with Thermo Fisher (TMO) and Danaher (DHR). Consolidation pressure in the tools space has intensified as buyers seek broader catalogues and pricing power to serve biopharma R&D pipelines.

Reported by Endpoints News on June 25.

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LONDON, June 25, 2026 — GSK (GSK) CEO Luke Miels initiated the $10.6 billion acquisition of clinical-stage oncology company Nuvalent (NUVL) before he formally took the top job in January 2026, according to Endpoints News.

The deal, which adds Nuvalent’s ROS1 inhibitor NVL-520 and other pipeline assets, represents a deliberate move to expand GSK’s small oncology portfolio. Miels, who previously served as GSK’s chief commercial officer, used the months before his CEO start date to advance the transaction, aiming to signal a sharper focus on cancer drug development early in his tenure.

Source: Endpoints News.

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NEW YORK, June 24, 2026 — Pfizer (PFE) announced that its antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) sigvotatug vedotin failed to meet its primary endpoint in a Phase 3 trial for previously treated non-small cell lung cancer. The candidate did not show a statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared to standard chemotherapy, the company confirmed.

The failure marks a setback for the drugmaker’s oncology pipeline, which had leaned heavily on ADCs acquired through the Seagen deal. Sigvotatug vedotin was one of several Seagen-originated assets Pfizer hoped would diversify beyond its COVID revenue decline. With this result, the path forward for the wider ADC portfolio faces renewed scrutiny, as reported by Endpoints News.

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NEW YORK, June 23, 2026 — Merck (NYSE: MRK) announced Monday that its lead inflammatory bowel disease candidate, a TL1A inhibitor acquired through the $10.8 billion Prometheus Biosciences deal, succeeded in its first Phase 3 trial, beating placebo in patients with ulcerative colitis.

The result is the first pivotal validation of the mechanism for Merck, which outbid rivals for Prometheus in 2023. TL1A blockade has drawn intense industry attention: Roche (SIX: ROG) is running a Phase 3 program for its own anti-TL1A antibody, while Teva (NYSE: TEVA) has a mid-stage candidate in the same class.

The readout was reported exclusively by Endpoints News on June 22.

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