Novartis struck a deal to acquire Pikavation for up to $3 billion, paying roughly two‑thirds up front to add SNV4818, a mutant‑selective PI3Kα inhibitor, to its oncology portfolio. Pikavation is a Synnovation subsidiary; SNV4818 is in a Phase I/II dose‑escalation and expansion study (NCT06736704) for HR+/HER2‑ metastatic breast cancer. Novartis framed the asset as designed to spare wild‑type PI3Kα to improve tolerability and enable earlier combinations with endocrine therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitors. The company emphasized preclinical selectivity against common PIK3CA mutations and positioned the acquisition as a precision‑medicine play to address an estimated 40% of HR+/HER2‑ patients with PIK3CA‑driven disease. Novartis’ development chief Shreeram Aradhye highlighted the mutant‑selective chemistry as a pathway to more durable benefit and better tolerability, signalling the firm intends to integrate SNV4818 into combination strategies and move quickly through clinical development.