Silence Therapeutics jumps 59% on Merck takeover

Health Pharma & Biotech Written by: Ian Lyall 11:20 Mon 19 Oct 2026 --> Edited by: Angela Harmantas Disclaimer No investment advice About this content Editorial Standards & Policies Share article About this content × About Ian Lyall Ian Lyall, a seasoned journalist and editor, brings over three decades of experience to his role as Managing Editor at Proactive. Overseeing Proactive's editorial and broadcast operations across six offices on three continents, Ian is responsible for quality control, editorial policy, and content production. He directs the creation of 50,000 pieces of real-time news, feature articles, and filmed interviews annually. Prior to Proactive, Ian helped lead the business output at the Daily... Read more About the publisher Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists. Proactive news team spans the world’s key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth. We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors. The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Use of technology Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows. Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation. Silence Therapeutics PLC ( NASDAQ:SLN OTC:SLNCF ) View Price & Profile Silence Therapeutics jumps 59% on Merck takeover Published: 11:20 19 Oct 2026 EDT Silence Therapeutics PLC (NASDAQ:SLN, FRA:XRP1, OTC:SLNCF) , the clinical-stage biotechnology company, surged 59% to $6.11 after agreeing to a $1.3 billion takeover by Merck KGaA, the German pharmaceutical and technology group. Merck will pay $20 in cash for each American depositary share (ADS), representing a 130% premium to Silence’s closing price on October 16 and an 82% premium to its 30-day volume-weighted average price. The proposed acquisition values Silence’s equity at approximately $1.3 billion, with an enterprise value of $1.1 billion, and gives shareholders a cash exit from the company’s drug development programs. The transaction follows progress in Silence’s pipeline of medicines designed to silence disease-causing genes using short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) technology. A key asset is divesiran, an experimental treatment for polycythaemia vera, a rare blood cancer characterised by excessive red blood cell production. Silence has reported potentially best-in-class phase two data for divesiran, which aims to reduce red blood cell production by regulating the body’s iron metabolism. The company said the acquisition would give its programmes access to Merck’s resources and commercial capabilities, supporting the potential progression of divesiran into phase three trials. Merck said the deal would strengthen its capabilities in targeted treatments for specialist and rare diseases, continuing its strategy of expanding through acquisitions. The transaction has been unanimously approved by Silence’s board and is expected to complete in the first quarter of 2027, subject to shareholder approval, court sanction and regulatory clearances. Continue reading