Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Roche Holding AG / GlycArt Biotechnology AG

2005 · Acquisition/Merger · $182M · Complete

CALLED IT — OFF BY 20

Small bolt-on that paid off: GlycArt's glycoengineering tech underpinned a real (if sub-blockbuster) Roche oncology franchise in Gazyva, still expanding into new indications 20 years later.

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The coverage arc

Jul 19, 2005 FierceBiotech Bullish

Roche acquires Swiss antibody specialist GlycArt, capturing the GlycoMAb ADCC-enhancement platform and three preclinical oncology mAbs.

Jul 19, 2005 SWI swissinfo.ch Bullish

Swiss commentators viewed the deal as validation of the ETH Zurich biotech ecosystem and a vote of confidence in Swiss antibody engineering.

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Roche acquires Swiss antibody-engineering specialist GlycArt for ~CHF 235M (~$181.6M); GlycoMAb glycosylation platform - basis for obinutuzumab (Gazyva).

Did it work? Outcome assessment

Small bolt-on that paid off: GlycArt's glycoengineering tech underpinned a real (if sub-blockbuster) Roche oncology franchise in Gazyva, still expanding into new indications 20 years later.

Strategic verdict
Achieved Stated Rationale

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Roche Holding AG / GlycArt Biotechnology AG (this deal)2005$182M80
Roche Holding AG / Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.2002$1.4B100
Roche Holding AG / Ventana Medical Systems Inc.2008$3.4B88
Roche Holding AG / Corange Ltd. (Boehringer Mannheim Group)1997$11.0B88
Roche Holding AG / Ventana Medical Systems Inc.2007$3.4B88
Roche Holding AG / Foundation Medicine, Inc.2015$1.1B87
Roche Holding AG / Foundation Medicine, Inc.2018$5.3B85

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