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Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries

Author Info

  • Patricia M. Danzon

    (University of Pennsylvania, USA)

  • Andrew Epstein

    (Yale University, USA)

  • Sean Nicholson

    (Cornell University, USA)

Abstract

We examine the determinants and effects of M&A activity in the pharmaceutical|biotechnology industry using SDC data on 383 firms from 1988 to 2001. For large firms, mergers are a response to expected excess capacity due to patent expirations and gaps in a firm's product pipeline. For small firms, mergers are primarily an exit strategy in response to financial trouble (low Tobin's q, few marketed products, low cash-sales ratios). In estimating effects of mergers, we use a propensity score to control for selection based on observed characteristics. Controlling for merger propensity, large firms that merged experienced a similar change in enterprise value, sales, employees, and R&D, and had slower growth in operating profit, compared with similar firms that did not merge. Thus mergers may be a response to trouble, but they are not a solution. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/mde.1343
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Article provided by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. in its journal Managerial and Decision Economics.

Volume (Year): 28 (2007)
Issue (Month): 4-5 ()
Pages: 307-328

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Handle: RePEc:wly:mgtdec:v:28:y:2007:i:4-5:p:307-328
Contact details of provider: Web page: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/7976

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
  • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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  1. Bronwyn H. Hall, 1987. "The Effect of Takeover Activity on Corporate Research and Development," NBER Working Papers 2191, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  2. José Manuel Campa & Simi Kedia, 1999. "Explaining the Diversification Discount," Working Papers 99-06, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
  3. Keisuke Hirano & Guido W. Imbens & Geert Ridder, 2000. "Efficient Estimation of Average Treatment Effects Using the Estimated Propensity Score," NBER Technical Working Papers 0251, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  4. Sara B. Moeller & Frederik P. Schlingemann & Rene M. Stulz, 2003. "Do shareholders of acquiring firms gain from acquisitions?," NBER Working Papers 9523, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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  6. Conyon, Martin J. & Girma, Sourafel & Thompson, Steve & Wright, Peter W., 2002. "The impact of mergers and acquisitions on company employment in the United Kingdom," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 31-49, January.
  7. Sean Nicholson, 2005. "Biotech-Pharmaceutical Alliances as a Signal of Asset and Firm Quality," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 78(4), pages 1433-1464, July.
  8. Jensen, Michael C, 1986. "Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow, Corporate Finance, and Takeovers," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 323-29, May.
  9. Gregor Andrade & Mark Mitchell & Erik Stafford, 2001. "New Evidence and Perspectives on Mergers," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 103-120, Spring.
  10. Amy Finkelstein, 2003. "Health Policy and Technological Change: Evidence from the Vaccine Industry," NBER Working Papers 9460, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  11. MING DONG & David Hirshleifer & SCOTT RICHARSON & Siew Hong Teoh, 2004. "Does Investor Misvaluation Drive the Takeover Market?," Finance 0412002, EconWPA.
  12. David J. Ravenscraft & William F. Long, 2000. "Paths to Creating Value in Pharmaceutical Mergers," NBER Chapters, in: Mergers and Productivity, pages 287-326 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  13. John A. Vernon, 2005. "Examining the link between price regulation and pharmaceutical R&D investment," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(1), pages 1-16.
  14. Guido W. Imbens, 2004. "Nonparametric Estimation of Average Treatment Effects Under Exogeneity: A Review," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(1), pages 4-29, February.
  15. Mark L. Mitchell & Erik Stafford, 1997. "Managerial Decisions and Long-Term Stock Price Performance," CRSP working papers 453, Center for Research in Security Prices, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago.
  16. Dranove, David & Lindrooth, Richard, 2003. "Hospital consolidation and costs: another look at the evidence," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 983-997, November.
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