Since the start of 2008, at least 19 companies in Biogen Idec's main areas of interest - autoimmune, cancer, cardiovascular and neurology - were acquired for $500 million or more. (A) Status of programs at the time of the deal. Source: BCIQ: BioCentury Online Intelligence

Year

Target

Acquirer

Value

Major assets (A)

2010 (prop)

Abraxis BioScience Inc. (NASDAQ:ABII)

Celgene Corp. (NASDAQ:CELG)

$2.9B plus $650M milestones

Breast cancer drug Abraxane nab-paclitaxel, with 2009 revenues of $314.5

2010 (prop)

TargeGen Inc.

sanofi-aventis Group (Euronext:SAN; NYSE:SNY)

$75M plus $485M milestones

Small molecule kinase inhibitors, including lead compound TG 101348, which has completed a Phase I/II trial to treat myelofibrosis

2010

Corthera Inc.

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN)

$120M plus $500M milestones

Relaxin recombinant human relaxin-H2 in Phase III testing to treat acute decompensated heart failure