Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is one of the The best growth stocks to buy now. On October 7, Merck & Co. announced the completion of its acquisition of Verona Pharma (NASDAQ:RNAV). Verona Pharma is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck. The acquisition is valued at approximately $10 billion and was executed under the terms of an agreement under which Merck, through a subsidiary, acquired all of the outstanding shares of Verona Pharma.
The acquisition strengthens and complements Merck’s cardiopulmonary portfolio with the addition of Ohtuvayre (ensiphentrine). Ohtuvayre is a first-in-class dual selective phosphodiesterase 3 and 4 (PDE3 and PDE4) inhibitor and was approved by the US FDA in June 2024 for the maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/COPD in adult patients.
It is the first novel inhaled mechanism for the maintenance treatment of COPD in more than 20 years. Ohtuvayre is also currently being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) operates as a global healthcare company. The company offers pharmaceutical products for human health in various areas under various brands. It also provides veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services.
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Disclosure: None. This article was originally published in Internal jumpsuit.