M&A in biotech and pharmaceuticals

Life sciences businesses face a pivotal moment: patent expiries, intensifying competition, and the rise of AI are reshaping how companies grow — and M&A is at the heart of it. With around two‑thirds of big pharma’s revenue growth now driven by acquisitions and strategic alliances, dealmaking has become the core lever for growth. 

As major patent expiries hit this year and over the next few years, companies are turning to M&A to replenish pipelines, secure innovative platforms and mitigate sharp revenue cliffs. At the same time, businesses are seeking to capitalise on EU digital health initiatives and attract investment into medtech and digitalisation, reshaping traditional pharma models. 

The role of AI in life-science M&A

AI is playing a key role as a deal enabling tool in patent-cliff driven life sciences M&A. Companies are using AI to find acquisitions earlier, assess IP faster, and prioritise assets that can replace revenue lost to expiring patents. 

This growing deal activity sits against a backdrop of heightened merger control scrutiny and increased antitrust focus on “killer acquisitions” and sector consolidation. Transactions that once felt routine now require careful structuring and early regulatory strategy. 

How our expert biopharma team can help

Osborne Clarke’s biopharma team brings together deep scientific understanding with seasoned transactional and regulatory experience. We advise across the full lifecycle of deals and collaborations, including:

• Cross‑border M&A and strategic alliances
• Patent and technology licensing
• Regulatory and market access issues
• Manufacturing and supply arrangements

We help life sciences businesses navigate complex regulatory and competition frameworks, structure deals and partnerships to manage risk, and build long‑term growth strategies on robust legal foundations.