Pharma BD Deal Intelligence
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Full analysis, sources & comparables →AbbVie has bought a psychedelic compound from a little known drug company, in a deal that could be worth north of $1 billion. The acquisition, announced…
AbbVie said on Monday it would acquire privately held Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals for up to $1.2 billion, gaining access to an experimental psychedelic medicine…
While AbbVie executives avoided going into many specifics regarding the pharma's new psychedelic drug, acquired for $1.2 billion from Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals…
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AbbVie acquired Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals' lead asset bretisilocin (GM-2505), a novel short-acting serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist and 5-HT releaser in Phase 2 development for moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder (MDD), for up to $1.2B (upfront plus development milestones). The deal was announced August 25, 2025 and completed October 17, 2025. As part of the transaction Gilgamesh spun off its remaining programs into a new independent entity, Gilgamesh Pharma Inc. Bretisilocin is designed for a shorter in-office dosing experience than classic psychedelics such as psilocybin, and the Phase 2a MDD study reported a statistically significant reduction in MADRS depression severity versus low-dose active comparator. The acquisition is AbbVie's first major move into psychedelic medicine, extending its neuropsychiatry pipeline beyond the assets gained in the Cerevel Therapeutics acquisition; AbbVie has stated it intends to accelerate bretisilocin into late-stage development.
| Deal | Year | Value | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie Inc. / Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals Inc. (this deal) | 2025 | $1.2B | — |
| AbbVie Inc. / Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH | 2016 | $2.2B | 95 |
| AbbVie Inc. / Genmab A/S | 2020 | $3.9B | 81 |
| AbbVie Inc. / Pharmacyclics Inc. | 2015 | $21.0B | 79 |
| AbbVie Inc. / Apogee Therapeutics, Inc. | 2026 | $10.9B | 72 |
| AbbVie Inc. / ImmunoGen Inc. | 2023 | $10.1B | 69 |
| AbbVie Inc. / Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 2024 | $2.0B | 64 |
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