Pfizer Agrees to Take Over Metsera for $4.9 Billion
Pfizer has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Metsera, a New York, NY-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company accelerating the next generation of medicines for obesity and cardiometabolic diseases.
Pfizer, under the terms of the agreement, will acquire all outstanding shares of Metsera common stock for $47.50 per share in cash at closing, representing an enterprise value of approximately $4.9 billion.
The acquisition brings deep expertise and a portfolio of differentiated oral and injectable incretin, non-incretin and combination therapy candidates with potential best-in-class efficacy and safety profiles. The Boards of Directors of both Metsera and Pfizer have unanimously approved the transaction.
Metsera, founded in 2022, has a portfolio of promising therapeutic candidates and combinations with four programs in clinical development and several next-generation programs with IND-enabling studies ongoing, aimed at addressing key unmet needs via fewer injections while achieving improved efficacy and tolerability. This includes MET-097i, a weekly and monthly injectable GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA), both in Phase 2 development; MET-233i, a monthly amylin analog candidate being evaluated as monotherapy and in combination with MET-097i in Phase 1 development; two oral GLP-1 RA candidates expected to begin clinical trials imminently; and additional preclinical nutrient-stimulated hormone therapeutics. Initial Phase 1 clinical results for MET-233i showcasing a potential best-in-class profile were presented on September 17 as a late-breaker at the 61st Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).
The agreement, additionally, includes a non-transferable contingent value right (CVR) entitling holders to potential additional payments of up to $22.50 per share in cash tied to three specific clinical and regulatory milestones: $5 per share following the Phase 3 clinical trial start of Metsera’s MET-097i+MET-233i combination, $7 per share following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Metsera’s monthly MET-097i monotherapy, and $10.50 per share following FDA approval of Metsera’s monthly MET-097i+MET-233i combination, if achieved. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approval by Metsera’s shareholders. Pfizer will provide any updates to its financial outlook in conjunction with its upcoming quarterly earnings.
