Shire is to acquire Meritage Pharma

• Acquiring Company: Shire plc
• Company to acquire: Meritage Pharma

Why is Shire acquiring Meritage Pharma?

• Shire is to acquire San Diego-based Meritage Pharma for $70m (£45m) in a move that will add another drug for a rare gastrointestinal disorder to its pipeline.
• Meritage Pharma is developing a treatment for a rare allergic reaction known as eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), which causes the oesophagus, or food pipe, to swell up, making it difficult to swallow. Doctors currently treat the condition by recommending changes in diet to avoid foods which trigger the reaction.
• This deal will complement Shire’s late-stage pipeline also includes a treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a condition resulting from the build-up of fat in the liver which can lead to permanent damage.