Merck announced that it will acquire Cidara Therapeutics, Inc., after both companies confirmed they have signed a definitive agreement. The deal, executed through a Merck subsidiary, places a value of $221.50 per Cidara share in cash and brings the total transaction amount to roughly $9.2 billion. The acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics underscores Merck’s continued push into drug-Fc conjugate (DFC) therapeutics as it looks to build on Cidara’s progress and advance its own antiviral strategy.
“We continue to execute our science-led business development strategy, augmenting our pipeline with CD388, a potentially first-in-class, long-acting antiviral designed to prevent influenza in individuals at higher risk of complications,” said Robert M. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “We intend to build on the Cidara team’s remarkable progress and are confident that CD388 has the potential to be another important driver of growth through the next decade, creating real value for shareholders.”
At the center of the acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics is Cidara’s lead candidate, CD388, which pairs a small molecule neuraminidase inhibitor with a proprietary Fc fragment of a human antibody engineered to prevent influenza A and B. The program is being tested in the Phase 3 ANCHOR study (NCT07159763) involving adult and adolescent participants at elevated risk of influenza-related complications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation following data from the Phase 2b NAVIGATE study (NCT06609460), which met all primary and secondary endpoints tied to preventing symptomatic laboratory-confirmed influenza in healthy adults ages 18 to 64. CD388 also previously received Fast Track Designation from the FDA.
“This acquisition expands and complements our respiratory portfolio and pipeline. Influenza continues to pose a significant global health threat, causing widespread illness, morbidity and death each year especially in older adults and immunocompromised individuals, such as those with cancer and chronic diseases,” added Dr. Dean Y. Li, president, Merck Research Laboratories. “CD388 is a novel late-phase candidate with important strain-agnostic properties being evaluated for the prevention of symptomatic influenza in high-risk individuals.”
