Merck has struck a roughly $10 billion deal to buy Verona Pharma
Dow Jones - HealthWednesday, July 9, 2025 at 11:18:00 AM
Big Pharma player Merck is shelling out around $10 billion to snap up Verona Pharma, a smaller biotech firm. This isn’t just a random shopping spree—Merck’s blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda is about to lose its patent protection in 2028, opening the floodgates to cheaper generics. The deal gives Merck a fresh pipeline of potential drugs to help fill that looming revenue gap.
Editor’s Note: When a drug as huge as Keytruda (which brought in $25 billion last year alone) faces generic competition, it’s a five-alarm fire for the company behind it. Merck’s move shows they’re not just sitting around waiting for the cliff—they’re betting big on new treatments to keep their edge. For patients, it could mean more options down the line, but for investors, it’s all about whether this $10B gamble pays off.
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