Novartis has agreed to acquire Tourmaline Bio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing pacibekitug, an anti-IL-6 mAb, as a treatment option for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
The cardiovascular treatment option will complement Novartis’ cardiovascular strategy by targeting IL-6, a key upstream cytokine that promotes systemic inflammation, thus addressing a critical unmet need.
Phase 2 trials for pacibekitug are ongoing, meaning Novartis will acquire a phase 3-ready asset that will complement its existing cardiovascular disease portfolio.
Shreeram Aradhye, President, Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis said: “Inflammation is a major driver of cardiovascular disease, and the team at Tourmaline has made significant progress with this asset.
“With no widely adopted anti-inflammatory therapies currently available for cardiovascular risk reduction, pacibekitug represents a potential breakthrough in addressing residual inflammatory risk in ASCVD with a differentiated mechanism of action targeting IL-6”.
The phase 2 TRANQUILITY 90-day study results were released this year in May, showing that pacibekitug reduced median high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels by 85% through day 90 at a dose of 15 mg once monthly and by 86% at a dose of 50 mg delivered quarterly.
Overall incidence rates of adverse events and serious adverse events were comparable to placebo.
These results show the potential for pacibekitug to target residual inflammatory risk more effectively than current therapies, with a more convenient administration of once per quarter.
Tourmaline Bio is valued at around $1.4bn, with an offer price of $48 per share, and the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025.