Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Abbott Laboratories / Genentech, Inc. (Roche Group)

2007 · Licensing/Option · Complete

A co-development partnership that produced the first-in-class BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax (Venclexta), rewriting treatment paradigms for CLL and AML. AbbVie and Genentech split US commercialization while AbbVie took exclusive ex-US rights—shared clinical risk, multi-billion-dollar revenue.

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The coverage arc

Dec 10, 2015 Wikipedia Neutral

Venetoclax is a BCL-2 inhibitor co-developed by AbbVie and Genentech Roche through collaboration valued at $500 million including milestones

Jul 26, 2017 Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Bullish

Anti-cancer treatment venetoclax yields US$325M in landmark Australian deal originating from AbbVie-Genentech collaboration research

Oct 19, 2020 Pharmaceutical Technology Bullish

FDA approves Genentech and AbbVie Venclexta venetoclax combination to treat AML demonstrating success of BCL-2 inhibitor co-development

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Abbott Laboratories and Genentech entered a co-development and co-commercialization collaboration for two oncology compounds: ABT-263 (navitoclax, BCL-2 family inhibitor) and ABT-869 (linifanib, multi-kinase inhibitor). The collaboration was later expanded to cover ABT-199 (venetoclax/Venclexta), a re-engineered selective BCL-2 inhibitor for hematologic malignancies. Companies agreed to share development costs globally and co-promote any resulting products in the United States; Abbott to promote outside the U.S. AbbVie inherited the collaboration after spinning off from Abbott in January 2013. Specific financial terms not disclosed.

Key facts

Disease & market context

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (BCL-2)

21K US cases/yr · $7.5B Global CLL Market (2017)

Disease Overview

Venetoclax was the first BCL-2 inhibitor approved for cancer, restoring apoptosis in CLL cells. It enabled chemo-free, fixed-duration combinations achieving MRD-negative remissions.

Commercial Success

AbbVie and Genentech co-commercialize in the US. Venclexta exceeded $2.5B globally in 2023, with continued growth from fixed-duration frontline CLL use.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (BCL-2)

20K US cases/yr · $2.8B Global AML Market (2019) · ~75% AML Patients Ineligible for Chemo

Disease Overview

~50-60%

Clinical Impact

Venetoclax + HMA approved 2018, establishing the ven-aza backbone as standard frontline therapy for unfit AML patients.

Deal timeline

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Abbott Laboratories / Genentech, Inc. (Roche Group) (this deal)200779
Abbott Laboratories / Knoll Pharmaceutical Company (BASF Pharma)2001$6.9B100
Abbott Laboratories / Knoll Pharmaceuticals (BASF Pharma)2000$6.9B95
Abbott Laboratories / Alere Inc.2016$5.8B95
Abbott Laboratories / St. Jude Medical2016$30.5B82
Abbott Laboratories / TheraSense Inc.2004$1.2B81
Abbott Laboratories / Vysis Inc.2001$355M79

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