Special Report

2008's Billion-dollar deals (H1)

The first half of 2008 has drawn to a close, with deal-making still on a roll. In the first six months of this year, companies inked six pacts--both buyouts and licensing deals--that exceed the billion-dollar mark. Novartis has the biggest buyout so far, diversifying with the purchase of eye care company Alcon. But Takeda takes the prize for the busiest drug developer; the Japanese company made inroads in the U.S market, which included massive buyout of Millennium and two big licensing deals with Amgen and Alnylam. List