Merck reached an agreement to buy Prometheus Biosciences to strengthen its immunology pipeline. Credit: Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ USA, and its affiliates.

has to buy clinical-stage biotechnology firm Prometheus Biosciences for $10.8bn, strengthening its immunology pipeline.

The company will buy all of Prometheus Biosciences鈥� outstanding shares for $200 a share through a subsidiary.

Go deeper with GlobalData

  • ReportsLogo

  • ReportsLogo

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

Prometheus Biosciences uses precision medicine to discover, develop and commercialise new therapeutic and companion diagnostic products to treat immune-mediated diseases.

PRA023, Prometheus鈥檚 lead candidate, is a humanised monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-like ligand 1A (TL1A).

TL1A is implicated in intestinal inflammation and fibrosis.

PRA023, which binds human TL1A with high affinity and specificity, is being developed to treat autoimmune conditions including Crohn鈥檚 disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

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 鈥� 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 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.

chairman and CEO Robert Davis stated: 鈥淎t Merck, we are committed to delivering on our purpose to save and improve lives and continue to identify and secure opportunities where compelling science and value creation align.

鈥淭he agreement with Prometheus will accelerate our growing presence in immunology where there remains substantial unmet patient need.

鈥淭his transaction adds diversity to our overall portfolio and is an important building block as we strengthen the sustainable innovation engine that will drive our growth well into the next decade.鈥�

Prometheus from a placebo-controlled Phase II ARTEMIS-UC trial of PRA023 conducted in moderate to severely active UC patients, and a Phase IIA APOLLO-CD trial in moderate to severe CD patients in December 2022.

The company intends to advance the mAb into Phase III trials for UC and CD in 2023.

Subject to the approval of Prometheus Biosciences’ shareholders and other stated conditions, the transaction should be concluded in the third quarter of 2023.