If no offer is made by March 23, the French biotechnology company will be free to negotiate with other potential buyers, notably the American giant Eli Lilly, which has already been rumored as a suitor.

Abivax delivered a spectacular performance on the stock market last year, with its shares soaring by 1,666.27%. The year's turning point for the company occurred on July 23, 2025, when the stock jumped 510.11% in a single session following the publication of positive results from two Phase 3 trials. These trials evaluated Obefazimod, its flagship drug candidate, in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. The biotech firm plans to submit marketing authorization applications in the United States and Europe in the second half of 2026.

The French standout is scheduled to publish initial results from a maintenance trial at the end of the second quarter of 2026, which are expected to be followed by a regulatory filing in the United States at the end of the current year.

According to La Lettre, potential bidders for Abivax might, however, wait for these results at the end of the first half of 2026 before making a move.

The strategic news daily also emphasizes that the matter will be closely monitored by French authorities. It warns that AstraZeneca likely holds an advantage due to its European roots and its CEO Pascal Soriot, a French-Australian national who is well-acquainted with Abivax CEO Marc de Garidel. Soriot previously acquired CinCor Pharma, an American biotech firm, from de Garidel in February 2023.