Pfizer Inc. has reached an agreement to acquire weight-loss drug startup Metsera Inc. in a deal valued at around $10 billion, following a competitive bidding battle with Novo Nordisk A/S, according to Bloomberg. Although the transaction has not yet been officially completed, the announcement positions Pfizer as the likely winner in securing the startup.
Under the proposed terms, Pfizer will pay up to $86.25 per Metsera share, including an upfront cash payment of $65.60 per share and additional milestone-based payments of up to $20.65. Metsera’s board described the Pfizer offer as the most favorable deal for shareholders, noting it was slightly higher than the previous bid.
This acquisition represents a major strategic step for Pfizer as it looks to re-enter the obesity drug market after discontinuing its own program earlier this year due to safety concerns. Metsera, a promising player in the obesity treatment space, is developing several experimental therapies such as MET-233i, which demonstrated 8.4% weight reduction in just 36 days during early testing.
