This long-time pick makes a major acquisition for growth

Article Excerpt

Merck continues to make savvy acquisitions to bolster its own research pipeline. That’s key to sustaining its growth going forward. MERCK & CO. INC., $127.99, is a buy. The drugmaker (New York symbol MRK; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average) (www.merck.com; Shares o/s: 2.5 billion; Market cap: $324.2 billion; Yield: 2.4%), has just agreed to acquire privately held biotech EyeBio for as much as $3 billion. It will pay $1.3 billion in cash and another $1.7 billion in future milestone payments. London-based EyeBio has operations in the U.S. and the U.K. EyeBio, founded by SV Health Investors, is backed by Kate Bingham, the former head of the U.K.’s COVID-19 vaccine taskforce. With this latest purchase, Merck will gain access to EyeBio’s retinal disease drug Restoret. As well, EyeBio recently completed early-stage testing of the drug for diabetic macular edema; that’s a type of swelling in the eye. The EyeBio acquisition should be a good fit for Merck and bolster its future growth. Merck & Co. is a buy. buy…