Request Trial
izzuanroslan / Shutterstock.com
27 July 2026NewsRegulation & IndustryMarisa Woutersen

Buying the brains: Why is Big Pharma shopping for innovation?

With billions in revenue set to disappear as patents expire, pharmaceutical giants are racing to acquire their way out of trouble. But are there other drivers behind the surge—and how long can the momentum last?

Already registered?

Login to your account

To request a FREE 2-week trial subscription, please signup.
NOTE - this can take up to 48hrs to be approved.

Two Week Free Trial

For multi-user price options, or to check if your company has an existing subscription that we can add you to for FREE, please email Atif Choudhury at achoudhury@lifesciencesipreview.com 


More on this story

Regulation & Industry
Built to be bought? What makes companies acquisition-ready
11 September 2026   For biotech companies, promising science is no longer enough to attract a pharma buyer. Lawyers from Morrison Foerster, Polsinelli, Morgan Lewis and Dechert explain what makes an acquisition target truly deal-ready. Marisa Woutersen explores what companies should get right before a potential acquirer comes knocking.
Regulation & Industry
Patent lawyers and judges discuss lofty UPC issues in grand London venue
10 September 2026   UPC judges and practitioners from firms including Freshfields, Kather Augenstein, EIP, Simmons & Simmons and Brinkhof converged at CIPA’s annual conference to offer candid views on the court’s biggest pressure points, from overloaded German divisions to harmonisation and cross-court influence.
Regulation & Industry
G 1/25: EPO settles controversial patent description question
4 September 2026   Clarity from the Enlarged Board of Appeal for when patent descriptions must be amended to reflect changes to the claims has finally arrived. LSIPR outlines G 1/25, the debate that led to the referral and the EPC provisions at the heart of the ruling.


Editor's picks

Exelixis locks down cancer drug exclusivity until 2030 with Fed Circ win
Biotech
Exelixis locks down cancer drug exclusivity until 2030 with Fed Circ win
1 September 2026

Editor's picks

Biotech
Exelixis locks down cancer drug exclusivity until 2030 with Fed Circ win
1 September 2026
MedTech
Abbott fends off Chinese rival’s patent challenge at UPC
18 August 2026
Regulation & Industry
Where Big Pharma is betting big in the M&A boom
29 July 2026
Regulation & Industry
Why is 2026 already a record year for M&A activity?
17 July 2026
Biotech
Sanofi launches mRNA vaccine lawsuits at Moderna and Pfizer
15 July 2026
Pharma
What’s at stake in Australia’s biggest pharma patent appeal in years?
1 July 2026

More features

Built to be bought? What makes companies acquisition-ready
Patent lawyers and judges discuss lofty UPC issues in grand London venue
J&J names two-decade veteran as chief IP counsel
J&J unit win shuts door on Sandoz generic launch
Abbott clinches 18-country PI in glucose monitoring feud
UK firm hires head of IP with commercial and technical nous
Italy’s Biofer falls short in Fed Circ appeal over key claim wording
G 1/25: EPO settles controversial patent description question