STAT+: Bidding war between Pfizer, Novo Nordisk for obesity startup Metsera escalates

Metsera said Tuesday that Pfizer and Novo Nordisk both upped their bids to acquire the obesity startup, with Novo’s offer coming in higher, valuing the company for up to $10 billion.

Under Novo’s new proposal, it would pay $62.20 per share in exchange for half of Metsera’s shares upon signing the deal (up from its earlier offer of $56.50), which Metsera would pay out to shareholders as a dividend. After the deal is approved by shareholders and regulators, Novo would pay a contingent value right of up to $24 per share based on development and approval milestones (up from its earlier offer of $21.25), and it would acquire the remaining shares.

Under Pfizer’s new bid, made on Monday, it would pay $60 per share upfront (up from its earlier offer of $47.50), and a contingent value right of up to $10 per share in cash based on certain milestones (down from its earlier offer of $22.50). This bid ultimately values Metsera for up to $8.1 billion.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

​STAT Pharma: The science and business of new drug development

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *