Merck KGaA agrees to acquire Silence Therapeutics for $20 per ADS
SLN•Merck KGaA agreed to acquire Silence Therapeutics for $20 per ADS in cash, valuing its equity at approximately $1.3 billion. The deal represents an 82% premium to the 30-day volume-weighted average and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.
1. Deal terms
Merck KGaA agreed to acquire Silence Therapeutics for $20 per ADS in cash, valuing its equity at approximately $1.3 billion and its enterprise value at $1.1 billion. The consideration represents an 82% premium to the 30-day volume-weighted average of $10.99 as of October 16, 2026. New debt will fund the acquisition, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.
2. Pipeline addition
The acquisition adds Divesiran, a Phase 3-ready investigational siRNA therapy for polycythemia vera, to Merck KGaA’s rare-disease pipeline.
