November Pharma Deal Roundup: Strategic Mergers and Tech Alliances Accelerate R&D Pipelines

November 2025 proved to be one of the most strategically charged months for the pharmaceutical and biotech sector, driven by cross-border collaborations, oncology licensing and engineered platform integrations that will influence both pipeline velocity and commercial scale through 2026.

Key global players scaled R&D innovation and commercial reach across Asia, Europe, and the U.S.

Zydus Licenses U.S. Oncology Asset from RK Pharma

Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. signed an exclusive U.S. licensing pact with RK Pharma Inc. for a 505(b)(2) oncology supportive care injectable. Zydus will lead NDA filing and commercialization, while RK Pharma will manufacture and supply the finished drug, expected to file in 2026.

Exyte Completes Pharmaplan Integration for European Expansion

Exyte SE completed the integration of European biopharma consultancy unit from Pharmaplan GmbH. All biopharma engineering capabilities, projects and client relationships now operate under Exyte’s Biopharma & Life Sciences division. The merger strengthens Exyte’s presence across key European biotech innovation hubs and manufacturing corridors.

Roche Expands CRM Tech Partnership with Veeva Vault Deployment

Swiss diagnostics major Roche Diagnostics extended its long-running alliance with Veeva Systems to deploy Veeva’s next-generation AI-enabled CRM suite across global pharma field teams. AI CRM agents for Vault CRM are planned for release in December 2025. 

GenEditBio and ToolGen Co-License to Advance In Vivo CRISPR Therapies

Clinical-stage gene delivery biotech GenEditBio Limited entered a cross-license pact with CRISPR genome-editing innovator ToolGen Inc. to co-develop in-vivo gene editing programs, including ongoing ocular asset GEB-200. Looking ahead, ToolGen and GenEditBio plan to accelerate the regulatory path for GEB-200 by leveraging their integrated platform capabilities and to jointly explore global licensing opportunities under mutually agreed terms.

Harbour BioMed and AstraZeneca Advance ADC & T-Cell Engager Discovery Alliance

Antibody R&D firm Harbour BioMed progressed its 2025 collaboration with AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca will nominate discovery programs annually through 2029, retaining licensing options for ADCs and T-cell engager assets. Harbour BioMed has collaborated with AstraZeneca on multiple programs since 2022, and over time, the two parties have established a trusted and solid partnership. 

AGC Biologics Signs Dual-AAV GMP Manufacturing Deal with AAVantgarde

AGC Biologics signed a GMP viral-vector manufacturing deal with Italy’s ophthalmic gene therapy developer, AAVantgarde, to manufacture dual-vector AAV candidates targeting inherited vision-loss indications including pediatric retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt.

Pfizer and Nona License Heavy Chain-Only Antibody Platform for Preclinical Expansion

Nona Biosciences entered a non-exclusive antibody R&D access deal with Pfizer enabling fully-human heavy chain-only antibody discovery. Nona receives upfront and milestone eligibility.

Ginkgo Bioworks Partners on Illinois-Led Microbial & Phage Oral Health Program

Ginkgo Bioworks partnered with University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign on a five-year ARPA-H funded MIGHTY initiative to advance oral-health microbial and phage-based therapeutic discovery using ultra-high-throughput EncapS screening.

Labcorp and Lunit Co-Develop AI-Driven Digital Pathology for Precision Oncology

Oncology diagnostics AI provider Lunit Inc signed an AI pathology and spatial tumor profiling research alliance with Labcorp. By combining high-resolution whole-slide imaging with AI-powered spatial profiling, the collaboration seeks to generate new insights that can enhance biomarker discovery and guide precision immuno-oncology strategies.

Roche and Freenome Form Decentralized ‘Kitted’ Cancer Screening Partnership

Freenome partnered with Roche Holding to commercialize “kitted” decentralized cancer-screening assays across select ex-U.S. markets, while Freenome retains centralized U.S. rights (subject to pre-existing agreements).

Merck Moves Forward with Cidara Acquisition for Long-Acting Influenza Candidate

Merck & Co. entered a definitive agreement to acquire Cidara Therapeutics to expand its pipeline with long-acting influenza antiviral candidate CD388, supporting decade-long portfolio diversification.

SanegeneBio and Eli Lilly Co-Develop Tissue-Selective RNAi for Metabolic Pipeline

RNA-therapeutics biotech firm SanegeneBio entered a global R&D alliance with Eli Lilly. Sanegene leads molecule discovery using its LEAD delivery engine; Lilly leads clinical development and commercialization.

BioModal and Zymo Research Partner for Single-Sample Genetic + Epigenetic Sequencing

Zymo Research partnered with Biomodal enabling 5hmC, 5mC and NGS profiling from a single DNA library for global R&D usage. This partnership brings the scientific community a new level of access to the full 6-base genome, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of gene regulation, disease mechanisms, and cellular function.

ArcticZymes and Brenntag Sign Exclusive Bioprocessing Enzyme Distribution Deal

Brenntag GmbH entered an exclusive ex-US distribution pact with ArcticZymes to scale bioprocessing enzymes for gene therapy and vaccine workflows across global pharma manufacturing.

Complete Genomics and SOPHiA GENETICS Co-Market Precision Oncology Tests

Complete Genomics partnered with SOPHiA GENETICS to co-launch MSK-ACCESS and MSK-IMPACT oncology assays on the DNBSEQ-T1+ sequencing system for international markets.

Labcorp and AstraZeneca Strengthen Immuno-Oncology Biomarker and RWD Testing

AstraZeneca expanded biomarker and real-world evidence research execution via diagnostics and lab collaboration accelerators offered through Labcorp’s pathology and RWD network.

Orbital Therapeutics and Bristol Myers Squibb Sign RNA Medicines Acquisition

Bristol Myers Squibb entered a merger agreement to acquire Orbital Therapeutics to accelerate in-vivo RNA medicines for autoimmune indications.

Umoja Biopharma and Nona Expand CAR-T In Vivo Cell-Therapy Co-Development

Umoja Biopharma expanded its 2024 collaboration with Nona to co-build multiple in-vivo CAR-T cell therapy candidates, with development milestone eligibility for Nona.

AAVantgarde Series B Fuels AAV Viral Vector Manufacturing Expansion

Italy-based ophthalmic gene-therapy innovator raised a Series B and triggered multiple CDMO manufacturing agreements leveraging AGC Biologics’ dual-AAV suspension process to address large-gene payload obstacles.

Labcorp, Freenome and European Access Consortia Scale Decentralized Oncology Screening

Decentralized oncology screening rights accelerated across Europe and select ex-U.S. regions supported through Roche-sponsored CRM, diagnostics partnerships and decentralized assay packaging systems.

Lunit and Merck Partner for Tumor Microenvironment AI Spatial Profiling

Lunit strengthened AI spatial biomarker support via RWE-integrated oncology discovery pacts.

Conclusion

November’s deals reflect a tight clustering of platform-driven R&D partnerships, oncology licensing, engineered acquisitions, and scalable manufacturing alliances, with AI-enabled biologics, dual-vector viral platforms, RNA therapeutics, CRM and precision oncology dominating the strategic mix. With 2026 approaching, cross-regional execution models between Asia, Europe and the U.S. signal an increasingly co-created, data-augmented and commercialization-scaled future for global pharma growth.