THIS year, British biotechnology companies have been merging and acquiring with enthusiasm. The company British Biotech has made consolidation its mission. The Oxford-based company has put its money where its mouth is with two bold moves. In April, it took over cancer drug specialist RiboTargets of Cambridge. And in August, it acquired the neuroscience drug company Vernalis, based in Winnersh, Berkshire, for £48 million.
Elsewhere there was a spectacular bidding war over Oxford GlycoSciences in January, which eventually ended when Celltech, the UK’s largest biotech operation, acquired it for £1.1 million. Then in May, Runcorn-based Protherics, famous for a rattlesnake…
