Swiss pharma giant Novartis has agreed to acquire clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Tourmaline Bio for $1.4bn.
Through this deal, Novartis will expand its late-stage atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) pipeline, taking possession of Tourmaline’s lead anti-inflammatory monoclonal antibody (mAb), pacibekitug.
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The subcutaneous drug, which was previously known as TOUR006, has already shown promise in the Phase II TRANQUILITY trial (NCT06362759) – having reduced median high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels by 86% when given once quarterly at a dose of 50mg. This makes it the first IL-6 inhibitor to achieve this on a quarterly dosing schedule.
Though the study focused on individuals with chronic kidney disease, it also investigated individuals with high hs-CRP levels, a common biomarker associated with increased ASCVD risk. Tourmaline has since used this as a springboard to develop the drug in the indication, while looking to diversify its use into other cardiovascular diseases.
Following the encouraging results of the TRANQUILITY study, Tourmaline is taking pacibekitug to Phase III for ASCVD, while the company will also look to run a proof-of-concept trial for the mAb in an abdominal aortic aneurysm setting.
Tourmaline stock has seen a general upward trend since it debuted its topline TRANQUILITY results on 20 May, with the company’s stock value surging by 193% since this milestone.
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By GlobalDataNovartis eyeing expansion
Novartis’ acquisition of Tourmaline Bio closely follows a string of recent exclusive global licensing investments made by the former. This includes a deal worth up to $2.2bn for Arrowhead Pharmaceutical’s small interfering RNA (siRNA) Parkinson’s candidate, ARO-SNCA.
On 4 September, Novartis also announced a $2bn deal with Chinese biopharma Argo for the rights to its siRNA therapies for severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG) and mixed dyslipidaemia outside of its home nation.
This reflects Novartis’ keen focus on industry collaboration in 2025, with the company having already signed 74 deals this year, according to GlobalData’s Intelligence Center. This is compared to the 81 deals signed in the whole of 2024.
Of these deals, three are M&As, with acquisitions of Anthos and Regulus Therapeutics in February and April 2025, respectively. The pharma giant has also been in talks to acquire Avidity Biosciences since early August 2025, but no deal has yet been struck.
Despite the high frequency of M&A deals signed by Novartis this year, the company has yet to exceed the six 2024 deals signed.
Big pharma bets on CVD
Novartis isn’t the first big pharma player to invest in its ASCVD portfolio this year, with Eli Lilly acquiring genetic medicine maker Verve Therapeutics in June 2025 for $1.3bn – a deal that analysts called “a bargain”.
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca and Novo Nordisk have also recently coughed up $1.8bn and $1.1bn, respectively, to diversify their cardiovascular portfolios. The former purchased US-based CinCor in January 2023 while the latter acquired German company Cardior Pharmaceuticals in March 2024.
