Shares of clinical-stage biotech Dice Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DICE) jumped by 37.5% during the first three and a half days of trading this week, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The big gain came after the company announced a $2.4 billion buyout agreement with industry heavyweight Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY). 

Lilly's $2.4 billion tender offer represents a 40% premium relative to Dice's closing price last Friday. Through this buyout, Lilly will add the experimental immunology medicines DC-806 and DC-853 to its pipeline. DC-806 is presently in midstage testing as a treatment for psoriasis. Wall Street expects the drug's ongoing midstage study to yield top-line data in mid-2024. 

Immunology has been a hotbed of business development activity lately. Merck, , and now Lilly have all cut deals recently to expand their immunology pipelines, and for good reason.

Continue reading

Source Fool.com