Novartis Acquires Tourmaline Bio for $1.4B to Bolster Cardiovascular Pipeline with Promising Phase 2 Drug

Novartis is acquiring Tourmaline Bio for $1.4 billion in an all-cash deal, paying $48 per share—a 57-59% premium to Tourmaline’s recent closing price1234.

The acquisition centers on pacibekitug, Tourmaline’s investigational anti-IL-6 IgG2 monoclonal antibody for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and related conditions134.

Pacibekitug impressed in a phase 2 study by sharply reducing high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a key biomarker of cardiovascular risk, in patients with elevated inflammation and chronic kidney disease34.

The drug targets interleukin-6 (IL-6), a proinflammatory cytokine implicated in atherosclerosis. This pathway is considered a promising but underexplored approach for cardiovascular risk reduction13.

Current cholesterol-lowering drugs are largely daily pills, whereas pacibekitug’s antibody approach could offer less frequent dosing—a potential competitive advantage14.

No widely adopted anti-inflammatory therapies exist for cardiovascular risk reduction; pacibekitug could fill this gap if successful in phase 3 trials, which Novartis plans to initiate23.

The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals. The boards of both companies have unanimously approved24.

Sources:

1. https://medcitynews.com/2025/09/novartis-tourmaline-acquisition-cardiovascular-disease-il-6-ascvd-novo-nordisk-csl-nvs-trml/

2. https://usaherald.com/novartis-to-acquire-tourmaline-bio-in-1-4b-deal-to-boost-heart-drug-pipeline/

3. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/novartis-spends-13b-tourmaline-and-cardiovascular-med-impressed-phase-2

4. https://www.aol.com/articles/novartis-expand-heart-drug-portfolio-141032464.html