Regulator wins decade-long pricing tussle with Pfizer Legal The UK competition watchdog has won permission to appeal in a case against US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer after a long-running legal battle over allegations of excessive pricing, overturning a previous decision by the Tribunal. The court said the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), was “wrong to set aside the [Competition and Market’s Authority’s] decision” in relation to [...]
Boots moves closer to London float but billionaire Westons circle Retail With one potential suitor out of the running, high street titan Boots is moving closer to a London float, a move that would mark a return to the FTSE 100 for one of the UK’s biggest retailers and deliver a major boost to UK capital markets. The 177-year-old British pharmacy saw the withdrawal of Sigma [...]
Australian pharma giant Sigma quits Boots takeover talks Retail Australian pharmacy giant Sigma has walked away from talks over a £7.5bn private takeover of Boots, renewing hopes that the high street pharmacy could float in London. The Australian firm said on Monday that a deal with Boots would not meet its investment objectives, leaving just the billionaire Weston family in sales talks with the [...]
Boots eyes £7.5bn sale in blow to hopes of London IPO June 10, 2026 The owners of Boots are weighing up a £7.5bn sale which would dash hopes of a London listing and deal another blow to the UK’s stock exchange. Sycamore Partners, the private equity firm which bought Boots’ parent company for $23.7bn last year, has been in talks with a number of suitors since before Easter. The [...]
GSK shares slip after buying US cancer treatment firm Nuvalent for $10.6bn June 9, 2026 Pharma giant GSK has sealed a $10bn deal to snap up Boston-based biopharmaceutical company Nuvalent. The FTSE 100 titan said it will pay $124 per share in cash in the agreement, marking a 40 per cent premium over what Nuvalent’s stock was trading at just before this announcement. The deal is expected to officially close [...]
Astrazeneca ploughs £300m into UK in surprise U-turn April 29, 2026 British drugs giant Astrazeneca has promised to plough £300m into its UK operations, just months after cancelling a nine-figure investment in a new lab after getting in a spat with the UK government over drug pricing. In a stunning volte-face, the UK’s largest pharmaceutical company said it would revive its £200m investment into a megalab [...]
Haleon takes hit from ‘weak cold and flu season’ but Sensodyne shines April 29, 2026 After being spun out from GSK in the biggest London IPO in decades, City analyst are looking for more from the emblematic FTSE 100 consumer healthcare powerhouse with roots in a Lombard Street apothecary shop Fewer sniffles during the winter have sent a chill through sales volumes at Haleon, the FTSE 100 over-the-counter remedy maker. [...]
GSK to acquire US biotech group for $2.2bn January 20, 2026 FTSE 100 giant GSK has reached an agreement to acquire US based biotech group Rapt Therapeutics. The deal values the company, which develops therapies for treating people with inflammatory and immunologic diseases, at $2.2bn (£1.6bn), and marks the first major deal for new GSK chief executive Luke Miels, coming just weeks after he took charge [...]
Hikma: FTSE 100 giant’s boss replaced by former chief after share price woes December 15, 2025 The boss of FTSE 100 giant Hikma Pharmaceuticals will be replaced by the firm’s former top chief after the group’s share price dropped by nearly a quarter this year. Riad Mishlawi has exited his role as chief executive at Hikma, with executive chairman Said Darwazah to step into the post with “immediate effect”. It ends [...]
Vitabiotics: Profit cut ahead of of potential £1bn sale December 9, 2025 Profit at Vitabiotics, the pharmaceutical giant owned by former Dragons’ Den star Tej Lalvani, has been cut ahead of a potential £1bn sale. Reports emerged towards the start of 2025 that the London-headquartered business had revived plans to sell itself in a move which valued it at £1bn. At the start of December it was [...]