- Daiichi Sankyo acquired Plexxikon and its promising melanoma drug PLX4032 for $805 million upfront plus $130 million in milestones linked to drug approval.
- Japanese drug companies have been acquiring several major US oncology companies in recent years to make up for a lack of biotech innovation in Japan.
- Plexxikon's drug PLX4032 showed survival benefits for melanoma patients in an interim analysis of a Phase III trial, and the companies plan to file for approval in the US and Europe this year.