US, Japan Reaffirm Strong Currency Coordination Amid Yen Volatility 
Dell Stock Hits Record High After Trump Endorsement, AI Server Demand Fuels Rally 
Dollar Rises as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
Trump to Visit China for Key U.S.-China Summit With Xi Jinping 
Trump-Xi China Summit 2026: Trade Tensions, Taiwan, and Iran Take Center Stage 
US Inflation Expected to Rise Again in April as Fed Signals Higher Interest Rates 
Trump Rejects Iran Proposal as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
CoreWeave Q1 2026 Revenue Surges as AI Infrastructure Demand Grows 
Goldman Sachs Delays Fed Rate Cut Forecast to 2026 Amid Rising Inflation Concerns 
Sony Forecasts Lower 2027 Profit Despite Strong Music and Sensor Growth 
Asian Stocks Rise Despite Middle East Tensions as Chipmakers Boost Markets 
China Car Sales Drop Again as EV Export Growth Surges in April 
Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak Triggers Global Health Alert 
Aker BP Q1 Profit Jumps on Higher Oil Prices and Asset Reversal 
Reliance Industries Reworks Jio IPO Into Fresh Share Sale Amid Valuation Talks 
US Stock Futures Slip as Trump Rejects Iran Peace Proposal Amid Rising Middle East Tensions 
ECB Signals Possible Interest Rate Move if Inflation Outlook Fails to Improve 
Merck & Co. is said to be in advanced talks for the acquisition of Seagen, a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative, empowered monoclonal antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer.
Fox Business reported that the acquisition deal could be valued at almost $40 billion. The amount could be more as the share price for Seagen is above $200 per share. The deal will help Merck & Co. with its expansion efforts as it adds a new acquisition to its cancer drug portfolio.
Currently, Merck’s highest-selling product is its Keytruda immunotherapy drug. The Rahway, New Jersey pharmaceutical company said that this drug accounted for $17.2 billion worth of its sales last year. As for Seagen, some of its best-selling products include Adcetris, which gathered total sales of $1.4 billion last year.
In any case, while Merck and Seagen are already in the advanced stage of negotiations, it was noted that there is still no assurance that they will be reaching an agreement for the sale of the latter.
Moreover, it was mentioned that any proposed deal in this negotiation is also expected to draw a close look from antitrust regulators. Both Merck and Seagen are still hoping to finally sign an agreement on or before Merck announces its second fiscal-quarter earnings, which has been scheduled for July 28.
Reuters reached out to Merck for comments regarding the acquisition reports, but it was not able to respond to the request immediately. On the other hand, Seagen was said to have declined to comment.
As of Wednesday, July 6, the companies are still discussing a price above $200 per share, and on that day, its closing share price was actually $175. It was added that Seagen has a market capitalization of $32.24 billion based on the records from Refinitiv data.
Meanwhile, industry observers believe that it will make sense if Merck & Co. is able to close its deal with Seagen for $250 or below. This is because this acquisition will definitely boost the company’s business and strengthen its portfolio through the latter’s exclusive cancer immunotherapy drug, Keytruda.
