By Raghav Mahobe
(Reuters) -Merck & Co Inc mentioned on Monday it can purchase most cancers drug developer Imago BioSciences Inc for a complete fairness worth of $1.35 billion to develop its portfolio of blood dysfunction therapies.
The supply of $36 per share in money for Imago represents an almost 107% premium to the corporate’s final shut. Imago’s shares greater than doubled in early buying and selling to $35.53.
With Merck’s blockbuster most cancers immunotherapy Keytruda anticipated to lose key patents in 2028, the corporate has been attempting to develop its drug portfolio.
Final yr, it purchased Acceleron Pharma (NASDAQ:) for about $11.5 billion to realize entry to its experimental remedy for treating a kind of hypertension.
Merck was reported to be in talks to purchase cancer-focused biotech Seagen Inc over the summer season, for practically $40 billion, however a deal didn’t materialize.
Estimated income potential of the Imago deal might be not sufficient to fill the lack of exclusivity hole left by Keytruda later on this decade, BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman mentioned.
Seigerman added that he expects the corporate to do extra offers that may assist fill the income hole from Keytruda’s patent loss.
Imago, which develops medicine for the remedy of bone marrow-related illnesses, is presently testing its lead drug bomedemstat in mid-stage research for treating sure forms of uncommon blood cancers.
Merck didn’t present particulars on the impact of the Imago deal on its monetary leads to the close to time period.
The corporate mentioned it can provoke a young supply to amass all excellent Imago shares by a unit, which shall be merged into Imago upon completion of the supply.
The businesses anticipate to shut the transaction within the first quarter of 2023.