ArQule discovers and develops kinase inhibitor therapies to treat cancer and other diseases. Credit: Pexels from Pixabay.

Merck (MSD) has completed its previously announced acquisition of US-based biopharmaceutical company ArQule.

The $2.7bn deal closed following completion of the cash tender offer that involved acquiring ArQule’s outstanding shares of common stock at $20 per share.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

As agreed, a Merck unit merged with and into ArQule, which will now operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck.

The deal completed more than a month after the two companies entered a definitive agreement to execute the merger.

ArQule is engaged in the development of kinase inhibitor therapies for cancer and other rare diseases. The acquisition strengthens Merck’s oncology pipeline with the addition of potential drug candidates from ArQule.

Overall, ArQule’s clinical-stage pipeline comprises four drug candidates under various stages of development.

It includes its lead candidate ARQ 531, an investigational, oral Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor to treat B-cell malignancies.

At the time of the deal announcement, Merck Research Laboratories president Roger Perlmutter said: “ArQule’s focus on precision medicine has yielded multiple clinical-stage oral kinase inhibitors that have novel and important properties.

“This acquisition strengthens Merck’s pipeline with the addition of these strategic assets including, most notably, ARQ 531, a compelling candidate for the treatment of B-cell malignancies.”

Headquartered in New Jersey, Merck is a global biopharmaceutical firm with operations in 140 countries.

Last month, the company secured the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its Ervebo vaccine to prevent Ebola virus disease (EVD).