Merck mentioned Wednesday that it’ll purchase Verona Pharma for $10 billion to bolster the pharma large’s lung-disease enterprise and assist substitute the anticipated lack of income when blockbuster most cancers drug Keytruda loses patent safety.
The centerpiece of the Verona acquisition is Ohtuvayre, a therapy for persistent obstructive pulmonary illness that secured U.S. approval final yr. The drug’s business launch has exceeded Wall Avenue expectations, with analysts forecasting $4 billion-plus in peak annual gross sales, in keeping with Seen Alpha.
Merck is paying $107 per share to purchase Verona, representing a 23% premium over its Tuesday closing value. It’s the biggest Merck acquisition because the firm purchased Prometheus Biosciences for $11 billion in 2023 and Acceleron Pharma for $11.5 billion in 2021.
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