Merck KGaA to buy Silence Therapeutics for $1.3 billion

· Health · Germany · United Kingdom

Germany's Merck KGaA has agreed to acquire UK drug developer Silence Therapeutics for $1.3 billion, expanding its position in genetic medicines for rare and specialty diseases. The deal centers on Silence's siRNA pipeline and its lead candidate divesiran, an RNA interference therapy for a blood disorder that passed a Phase 2 test and could rival an existing Takeda drug. RNAi works by silencing the genes that produce disease-causing proteins rather than blocking the proteins themselves. The purchase adds a late-stage asset to Merck KGaA's pipeline and continues a run of large pharma acquisitions of genetic-medicine specialists.

Why it matters：It marks another multi-billion-dollar bet by a large pharma on RNA interference, a modality moving from niche to mainstream, and could reshape competition in blood-disorder treatments.

Key points

  • The deal value is $1.3 billion and covers Silence's siRNA pipeline.
  • Lead drug divesiran passed a Phase 2 test and could threaten a Takeda medicine.
  • Silence is a UK-based drug developer.

Sources (original reporting)

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