Merck & Co ($MRK@US) has agreed to purchase drugmaker Acceleron Pharma Inc ($XLRN@US) for $11.5 billion. Merck is completing the purchase so that it can bolster its portfolio and add drugs for rare diseases to its lineup. The deal calls for Merck to pay $180 per share for Acceleron, a premium of around 2.6%. The acquisition also allows Merck to market and sell rare disease drug Sotatercept in addition to its cancer drug Keytruda. Merck stock ticked almost $2 higher in early trading.
