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- Aug 31, 202690% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
Lilly Agrees to Acquire Merida Biosciences for Up to $2.875 Billion
- On 31 August 2026 Lilly and Merida Biosciences of Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced a definitive agreement for Lilly to acquire Merida[1][2]
- Lilly will pay up to $2.875 billion in cash, including an upfront payment and contingent milestone payments; the upfront amount was not disclosed[1][3]
- Merida engineers biologics that selectively degrade pathogenic autoantibodies instead of broadly suppressing the immune system[1]
- Lead program MER511 is in Phase 1 for Graves' disease, which affects about 3 million people in the US, and thyroid eye disease, which 25 to 40 percent of Graves' patients develop[1]
- The pipeline also includes MER769, a preclinical program for food allergy, asthma and chronic spontaneous urticaria, and earlier work in kidney diseases such as membranous nephropathy[1]
- The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals[1][4]
References 488% CONFIDENCE
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- [1]90%prnewswire.com/news-releases/lilly-to-acquire-merida-biosciences-to-advance-treatments-for-serious-autoimmune-and-allergic-diseases-302864686.htmlprnewswire.com· Posted Sep 23, 2026· Starts Aug 31, 2026 ✓· 27% of score
The release is datelined "INDIANAPOLIS and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 31, 2026" and says the companies "today announced a definitive agreement for Lilly to acquire Merida".
- [2]92%Lilly to Acquire Merida Biosciences to Advance Treatments for Serious Autoimmune and Allergic Diseasesmeridabio.com· Published Aug 31, 2026· 24% of score
Merida's own copy of the joint release, posted 31 Aug 2026: up to $2.875 billion in cash including milestones, expected to close in Q4 2026.[1]
- [3]88%Lilly to buy Merida Biosciences for up to $2.88 billion in autoimmune drug pushcnbc.com· Published Aug 31, 2026· 24% of score
CNBC, 31 Aug 2026: Lilly said on Monday it would buy privately held Merida for up to $2.88 billion; upfront amount not disclosed; closing expected in Q4.
- [4]80%Eli Lilly to Acquire Merida Biosciences for $2.8 Billionpharmexec.com· Published Aug 31, 2026· 24% of score
PharmExec: up to $2.875 billion for a precision autoantibody degradation platform led by MER511; close expected in Q4 2026 after regulatory approvals.
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