Shares of Novo Nordisk, manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, increased today on the stock market (up to 3%) after emerging from the intense bidding battle for the American pharmaceutical company Metsera. The Danish group withdrew its offer to acquire the biotech company specializing in weight-loss treatments on Saturday, ending the bidding war with rival Pfizer, which on Friday evening had concluded a $10 billion deal to acquire the company. start.
Metsera accepted an improved offer from Pfizer, citing U.S. antitrust risks in Novo’s offer, which it had previously called superior. The Danish anti-obesity drug giant announced on Saturday that it was withdrawing from the tender.
As Metsera reported last Friday, the decision to move forward with Pfizer responded to concerns raised by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about potential antitrust risks related to Novo’s proposal. “The structure of the Novo deal presents unacceptably high legal and regulatory risks,” the biotechnology company said in a statement.
This victory for Pfizer in the bidding war for Metsera is a blow to Novo Nordisk, which is trying to regain ground against its American rival Eli Lilly, and opens the door to the lucrative anti-obesity drug market for Pfizer, even if Metsera’s treatments will still take years to reach the market.
