Pfizer files second lawsuit against Novo Nordisk, Metsera in bidding war over obesity biotech

Pfizer connected Monday said it filed a 2nd lawsuit against Novo Nordisk and Metsera, alleging that the Danish drugmaker's attempt to outbid Pfizer to get the obesity biotech is anticompetitive. 

Pfizer alleges that Ozempic shaper Novo Nordisk's projected acquisition of Metsera would assistance it support its ascendant presumption successful the blockbuster obesity market by eliminating a smaller imaginable competitor, according to the suit filed Monday successful the U.S. District Court successful Delaware. The suit besides alleges that Metsera's controlling shareholders conspired with the obesity biotech and Novo Nordisk. 

Novo Nordisk did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. 

In a statement, Metsera said, "Pfizer is trying to litigate its mode to buying Metsera for a little terms than Novo Nordisk." The institution added that Pfizer's litigation arguments "are nonsense, and Metsera volition code them successful court."

The caller suit escalates a heated standoff betwixt Pfizer and Novo Nordisk implicit Metsera, whose obesity pipeline could output caller competitors successful the booming value nonaccomplishment cause market. Pfizer successful September said that it would acquire Metsera for $4.9 billion, oregon up to $7.3 cardinal with aboriginal payments – a woody that could beryllium the company's aureate summons to participate the abstraction aft struggling to bring its ain obesity products to market. 

But Novo Nordisk connected Thursday launched a takeover bid valuing the biotech astatine astir $6 billion, triggering a deadline of 4 concern days for Pfizer to renegotiate its offer. On Friday, Pfizer filed its archetypal suit against Novo Nordisk and Metsera seeking to artifact the biotech from terminating its existing merger woody with Pfizer. 

That suit, filed successful the Delaware Court of Chancery, alleges that Novo Nordisk's connection can't suffice arsenic a superior connection due to the fact that it's not reasonably apt to beryllium completed owed to its important regulatory risk.

Novo Nordisk helped found the value nonaccomplishment cause space, bringing to marketplace highly effectual GLP-1 drugs, including the diabetes injection Ozempic and obesity changeable Wegovy. But the institution has mislaid its starring presumption successful the marketplace to its main rival, Eli Lilly, implicit the past twelvemonth and has struggled to impressment investors with its pipeline.