Merck in Talks to Acquire Revolution Medicines for $28-32 Billion
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 09 2026
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Source: Benzinga
- Acquisition Talks: Merck is reportedly in discussions to acquire Revolution Medicines for a deal valued between $28 billion and $32 billion, which, if finalized, would mark the largest transaction in the biotech sector, further fueling the ongoing M&A boom.
- Stock Reaction: Following the news, Revolution Medicines' shares surged by 15.14%, now trading at $123.65 per share, indicating strong market optimism regarding the potential deal and possibly enhancing the company's position in cancer treatment.
- Industry Context: This acquisition discussion comes amid a looming patent cliff for the biotech industry, with Merck's Keytruda set to lose patent protection in 2028, making this acquisition crucial for diversifying its product portfolio to address future challenges.
- M&A Trends: According to S&P Capital IQ, biotech deal volumes are projected to reach $135 billion by 2025, doubling from 2024, highlighting an acceleration in M&A activity, with Merck's potential acquisition likely to further drive this trend.
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Analyst Views on MRK
Wall Street analysts forecast MRK stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for MRK is 119.53 USD with a low forecast of 95.00 USD and a high forecast of 139.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
16 Analyst Rating
11 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 108.340
Low
95.00
Averages
119.53
High
139.00
Current: 108.340
Low
95.00
Averages
119.53
High
139.00
About MRK
Merck & Co., Inc. is a global health care company that delivers health solutions through its prescription medicines, including biologic therapies, vaccines and animal health products. Its Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products. The Company sells its human health pharmaceutical products primarily to drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, government agencies and managed health care providers. It sells these human health vaccines primarily to physicians, wholesalers, distributors and government entities. Its Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures and markets a range of veterinary pharmaceutical and vaccine products, as well as health management solutions and services, for the prevention, treatment and control of disease in all livestock and companion animal species. Its products include KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) injection, for intravenous use; WELIREG (belzutifan) tablets, for oral use; Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine) and others.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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