Foley Represents Verona Pharma in $10B Acquisition by Merck

Foley & Lardner LLP acted as U.S. intellectual property counsel for UK-based Verona Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company focused on respiratory diseases, in its approximately $10 billion acquisition by Merck & Co. Inc. (Merck).

The acquisition gives Merck access to Ohtuvayre, a newly approved inhaled treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. Ohtuvayre is the first new type of inhaled COPD medication approved in more than 20 years and works by helping to open airways and reduce lung inflammation. The drug is also being studied for another chronic lung condition called non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

The Foley team advising Verona Pharma included IP partners Stephen Maebius and Liane Peterson, with additional contributions from Oyvind Dahle, Yogeeta Jadhav and Alexey Saprigin.