USA

The Commission argued that without the divestitures, the merged company could gain the ability to exert unilateral control over pricing in these markets.

More than 3 million cases of complicated UTIs are recorded annually in the United States, and treatment failure affects up to one-third of patients.

The agreement brings together Protillion’s computational biology platform with Merck’s established drug development expertise to support the discovery of next-generation therapies.

The investment forms part of the company’s broader plan to spend US$55 billion on expanding its domestic manufacturing footprint through 2029.

The deal combines acquisition with a concurrent private placement of up to US$64 million in gross proceeds before expenses, strengthening development funding.

The partnership grants Lilly global rights to AlzeCure’s preclinical small-molecule candidate, ACD680, which targets the biology of Alzheimer’s disease.

The agreement includes an upfront payment of US$1.25 billion, with additional milestone-based payments of up to US$750 million tied to future sales performance.

The company has invested nearly US$5 billion in the United States over the past 15 years, expanding its manufacturing, research, development, and distribution infrastructure.

The deal integrates Firefly Bio’s experimental Firelink degrader-antibody conjugate platform into J&J’s oncology research and development portfolio, marking a significant step in its long-term strategy to enhance targeted drug delivery systems.

Under the agreement, EGT will oversee the rollout of Koios DS™ Breast and Koios DS™ Thyroid across key GCC markets, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.