Pfizer’s Strategic Leap into Weight Loss Market with $7.3B Metsera Acquisition
Pharmaceutical titan, Pfizer, has recently declared its acquisition of Metsera, an obesity drug developer, for a staggering $7.3 billion. This move signifies a major strategic venture into the swiftly growing weight loss treatment market. The agreement values Metsera at $47.50 per share in cash, with supplementary payments of up to $22.50 per share linked to clinical and regulatory milestones.
The acquisition ushers in Metsera’s promising pipeline of both oral and injectable obesity treatments, including MET-233i, a monthly injectable that aided patients in losing up to 8.4% of their weight in preliminary trials. The convenience of monthly dosing, as opposed to weekly, could potentially provide Pfizer a competitive advantage in a market currently dominated by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
This strategic move comes in the wake of setbacks in Pfizer’s own obesity drug development, including the discontinuation of its lead candidate, danuglipron, in April due to safety concerns. Analysts project that the global obesity drug market could reach a whopping $150 billion by the early 2030s, with Metsera’s pipeline potentially generating over $5 billion in combined peak sales.
Source: CNBC