Medicine
Merck has completed the largest pharmaceutical deal in decades
After several flops in their own medicinal research, the DAX group relies on a billion-dollar takeover. Patients with rare tumor diseases could benefit.
The Darmstadt Merck Group has completed the greatest takeover in the pharmaceutical business for almost 20 years. The purchase of the US Cancer Specialist SpringWorks Therapeutics for around 3 billion euros is in dry cloths, as the DAX company reports. With the takeover, Merck wants to build a business around the treatments of rare tumors, where the group sees a therapy piece.
“Many of those affected are still young and have a lengthy treatment path with an uncertain outcome and only limited therapy options in front of them,” said Danny Bar-Zohar, head of the pharmaceutical division of Merck.
Lucrative business with rare diseases
Springworks already has a medication approved in the United States for the treatment of progressive soft tubes and against a disease with benign tumors on the skin or nerves. Both funds could soon also get the green light in the EU.
Merck boss Belén Garijo described the takeover as directional. Both therapies of Springworks could become blockbuster medication, i.e. Merck each bring sales of at least one billion dollars a year, Garijo told the German Press Agency.
The takeover of Springworks is a “transformative step,” explained the manager. In order for Merck to expand the business in the United States, focus more on rare diseases and accelerate growth. At the same time, Garijo did not rule out further acquisitions, especially in the business with products for pharmaceutical research and drug production.
Merck under pressure after medication flops
Merck’s pharmaceutical division, among other things, with medication against cancer, infertility and multiple sclerosis, recently grew solidly. However, the group is under pressure to launch new funds. Several hopes of hope that Merck should rinse billions into the cash registers have failed in clinical studies.
The takeover of Springworks, the largest in the pharmaceutical division since the Swiss Serono Group in 2007 for 10.3 billion euros, is intended to increase the turnover of Merck. The last major takeover in 2019 with the U.S. helmet conductor Versum Versum made material worth around 5.8 billion euros.
dpa
Source: Stern
