Merck Announces Completion of NovaCardia Acquisition

Merck has completed the acquisition of NovaCardia, a privately held clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on cardiovascular disease. 

The acquisition adds rolofylline (KW-3902), NovaCardia’s investigational Phase III compound for acute heart failure, to Merck’s pipeline.

Merck said it acquired all the outstanding equity of NovaCardia for a total purchase price of $366.4 million. Approximately $325 million of the purchase price will be accounted for as in-process research and development costs, the company added.