Merck to Acquire Silence Therapeutics for $1.3 Billion

German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA will acquire British firm Silence Therapeutics for approximately $1.3 billion. The deal values Silence Therapeutics at approximately $1.3 billion. Merck's offered price is about 130% higher than the company's market price on October 16.

Silence Therapeutics is working on drugs that inhibit the production of certain harmful proteins in the body. The company's leading drug candidate is divesiran, which is being developed to treat a rare blood disease and is moving into the final stage of clinical trials. The company is also developing drugs to combat high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease, and immune disorders.

This is Merck's third major deal in less than two years. In 2025, the company acquired SpringWorks Therapeutics for $3.9 billion, while the $11.3 billion deal for Bio-Techne is still in process.

The acquisition of Silence Therapeutics is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027.

Source: Reuters