Merck bets $6.5 billion on "super flu drug"

Recently, Merck announced a final agreement with Cidara Therapeutics to acquire the company for approximately $9.2 billion. Following this news, the stock price of Cidara, a biotechnology company based in San Diego, surged over 105%, reaching its highest level since 2017. The core asset of this deal is Cidara's lead candidate drug CD388, which is a long-acting antiviral drug based on innovative Drug-Fc Conjugate technology platform for influenza prevention. Public information shows that while traditional flu vaccines have an average efficacy of around 40%, CD388 demonstrated a prevention efficacy of 76% at the highest dose in phase 2b clinical trials, providing protection for up to 4 to 5 months with a single dose. "If CD388 is successfully approved for market, its demonstrated 76% prevention efficacy far exceeds that of traditional vaccines, and is poised to tap into a billion-dollar market. Combined with Merck's mature commercial network and global channels, the synergy may result in a net present value far exceeding the acquisition cost. In recent years, Merck has been increasingly focusing on the infectious disease field, and this acquisition aims to strengthen its pipeline thickness in the field of 'immune-activated anti-infective drugs' by introducing Cidara's proprietary Cloudbreak platform technology, providing new engines for mid- to long-term growth." Some pharmaceutical industry analysts told reporters.