French pharmaceutical group expands precision oncology portfolio with promising pediatric brain cancer therapy
California, USA, 10 March 2026 – Global pharmaceutical company Servier has announced an agreement to acquire US-based Day One Biopharmaceuticals in a deal valued at $2.5 billion in cash. The transaction, priced at $21.50 per share, represents a 68 percent premium over Day One’s previous closing share price and highlights Servier’s growing focus on rare oncology and targeted cancer therapies.
The acquisition is expected to strengthen Servier’s presence in the rapidly evolving precision oncology and rare disease treatment market. By bringing Day One into its portfolio, the France-based pharmaceutical group gains access to Ojemda (tovorafenib), a targeted therapy designed for certain pediatric brain cancers.
Ojemda is an oral, brain-penetrant drug that selectively targets RAF kinase, an enzyme involved in the MAPK signaling pathway that plays an important role in cancer growth. The therapy has already been approved in the United States for treating pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG) with BRAF gene alterations, a rare type of childhood brain tumor.
The drug has also recently received a positive recommendation for approval in the European Union for the same indication. In the EU market, the therapy is licensed to Ipsen, which holds commercialization rights.
For Servier, adding tovorafenib to its pipeline complements its growing portfolio of rare cancer treatments. The company has been steadily expanding its oncology platform with innovative targeted therapies.
One of its most notable recent developments is VORANIGO (vorasidenib), a targeted treatment for Grade 2 IDH-mutant glioma. The therapy received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2024 and represents a major step forward in treating certain types of brain tumors using precision medicine approaches.
Servier President Olivier Laureau described the acquisition as an important milestone for the company’s long-term strategy in oncology innovation.
“This acquisition of Day One Biopharmaceuticals marks another decisive step in strengthening Servier’s position in rare oncology,” he said.
The deal also reflects Servier’s broader effort to accelerate innovation in cancer drug discovery. In recent months, the company has increased its investment in partnerships and research collaborations focused on next-generation cancer therapies.
Earlier this year, Servier announced a collaboration with artificial intelligence drug discovery company Insilico Medicine in a partnership worth up to $888 million. The collaboration aims to develop new oncology therapies using Insilico’s AI-powered drug discovery platform combined with Servier’s expertise in cancer drug development.
Day One Biopharmaceuticals, headquartered in California, was founded in 2018 by pediatric oncologist Samuel Blackman and venture capitalist Julie Grant. The company was created with a mission to develop targeted treatments for childhood cancers and other life-threatening diseases.
Day One went public in 2021 during a challenging period for the biotechnology market, raising $160 million through its initial public offering. However, like many biotech companies, its stock faced pressure in recent years and had declined about 20 percent before the acquisition announcement.
Jeremy Bender, CEO of Day One Biopharmaceuticals, said joining Servier would help expand the reach of its therapies to more patients around the world.
He noted that Servier provides the right global platform to advance Day One’s mission of delivering innovative medicines to patients of all ages who are living with serious and life-threatening diseases.
Industry experts say the acquisition reflects a growing trend in the pharmaceutical industry, where larger drugmakers are acquiring biotech innovators to strengthen their pipelines in areas such as rare diseases, targeted oncology treatments, and precision medicine.
With the addition of tovorafenib and other potential therapies, Servier aims to further expand its position in the competitive oncology market while continuing to focus on treatments for rare and underserved cancers.
The transaction is expected to close between April and June 2026, pending regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
