Keyword: Allergan

When the AbbVie/Allergan deal was unveiled in June, Allergan investors cheered, as AbbVie’s stock price sank. Analysts also have their doubts. While most viewed it as welcome news for Allergan, dubbing it a “graceful exit” for a “beaten-up name,” they raised multiple folds of concerns for AbbVie, the buyer.

Biopharma M&A got a big boost moneywise in 2019. The three largest delivered more than $150 billion, with Bristol-Myers Squibb's $74 billion takeover of Celgene setting a new record. Oncology was still a hot theme, stringing through a whole year of big dealmaking headlines, just as gene therapy gained popularity.