Novartis pays up to $3B for Pikavation – adds PI3Kα mutant‑selective asset

Novartis agreed to acquire Pikavation Therapeutics for up to $3 billion to add SNV4818, a mutant‑selective PI3Kα inhibitor, to its oncology pipeline. The deal includes a multi‑hundred‑million dollar upfront component and ties Novartis to an early‑stage Phase I/II program in HR+/HER2‑ metastatic breast cancer and other solid tumors. Novartis said SNV4818’s selectivity for mutant PI3Kα could improve tolerability versus pan‑PI3Kα inhibitors and enable combinations with hormonal therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitors. The program’s Phase I/II (NCT06736704) is evaluating SNV4818 alone and with fulvestrant and palbociclib; Novartis flagged an estimated primary completion date in 2027. Company leadership framed the deal as precision‑medicine expansion targeting PIK3CA‑mutant tumors, underscoring continued large‑cap appetite for small‑molecule oncology platforms that promise better therapeutic windows.