The acquisition of Mariana will complement Novartis’s lutetium-based radioligand therapies with candidates using actinium. Lilly, Bristol and AstraZeneca all have made recent high-priced buys in the space.

ADCs, radiopharmaceuticals, precision medicines and T-cell engagers dominated R&D pipelines reviewed by 12 big pharmas at the first annual AACR Oncology Industry Partnering Event.

A year is a long time in biopharma. Pharmaprojects’ annual pipeline review finds changes in the therapeutic spread of drug candidates and a reordering of the top R&D companies, as Chinese firms made their presence felt all the more over the past 12 months.

The $16.5bn deal, intended to increase Novo Nordisk’s production of semaglutide-containing products, led a $36bn-plus quarter for M&A transactions, according to Evaluate.