Novartis will acquire Anthos to strengthen its cardiovascular drug pipeline, with a total transaction value of up to $3.1 billion

Swiss pharmaceutical giant NOVARTIS AG announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire biopharmaceutical company Anthos Therapeutics for up to $3.1 billion to strengthen its late-stage cardiovascular drug development pipeline. It is understood that Anthos was co-founded by Blackstone Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Blackstone, and NOVARTIS AG in 2019, focusing on the development, production, and commercialization of a treatment drug—abelacimab—for the prevention of strokes and the prevention of thromboembolism recurrence. NOVARTIS AG stated that the transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of this year, with an initial payment of $925 million and potential additional payments of up to $2.15 billion based on subsequent conditions. Anthos CEO Bill Meury stated, "NOVARTIS AG has a strong foundation in the cardiovascular field, making it particularly well-suited to advance the clinical development of abelacimab and bring this innovative product to healthcare providers and patients."