Merck KGaA has agreed to buy UK-based Silence Therapeutics in an all-cash deal valued at about $1.3 billion in equity value ($1.1 billion enterprise value).
Silence shareholders are set to receive $20 per American Depositary Share, a 130% premium to the closing price on October 16, 2026.
The key asset is divesiran, an investigational siRNA therapy for polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer that causes excessive red blood cell production. It is designed to silence TMPRSS6 and alter iron regulation.
In the Phase 2 SANRECO study, 88% of divesiran-treated patients met response criteria, versus 19% on placebo. Silence plans to advance the drug toward Phase 3; results are promising but do not establish approval or long-term benefit.
The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, pending shareholder, court and regulatory approvals.
Sources:
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