Pfizer Inc‘s (NYSE: PFE) claim. Novo Nordisk A/S‘ (NYSE: NVO) counterbid. And in the middle of all of it– a peaceful $45 million position that may become Andreas Halvorsen‘s next masterstroke. After years of combating from the sidelines of the Ozempic boom, Pfizer is lastly tossing punches.
Pfizer is taking legal action against obesity-drug designer Metsera Inc (NASDAQ: MTSR) to obstruct a takeover by Novo Nordisk. The war in between the 2 pharma giants is driving MTSR stock greater, Wednesday.
However while the pharma heavyweights punch it out, Viking International, Halvorsen’s $48 billion hedge fund, is silently resting on among the most excellent seats in your house.
The $10 Billion Reward
Novo Nordisk simply upped its quote for Metsera to $86.20 a share, valuing the biotech at approximately $10 billion, consisting of a contingent worth right of as much as $24 in money. Pfizer’s deal, by contrast, peaks around $70 a share, and the business is fuming. CEO Albert Bourla didn’t mince words on Tuesday’s profits call: “It is an unlawful effort by a foreign business to do an end run around antitrust laws, making the most of the federal government shutdown.”
That crisis highlights simply how high the stakes have actually ended up being in the race to control the next generation of weight-loss drugs– and how desperate Pfizer is to reach Novo’s runaway success with Ozempic and Wegovy
Check Out Likewise: Novo, Lilly, Pfizer: Who Wins If Trump Slashes Costs?
The Smart Cash Got There First
While Huge Pharma fights in courtrooms and conference rooms, hedge fund titans are currently counting their gains. Viking International, which initially revealed its stake in Metsera at a typical rate of $27.22, is all of a sudden looking prescient.
Fellow billionaire Ken Griffin’s Castle likewise constructed a position previously this year– little by Viking’s requirements, now up more than 100%.
Metsera’s exclusive nutrient-stimulated hormonal agent analog peptides– a mouthful that may simply redefine weight problems treatment– have actually made it the biotech every pharma gamer all of a sudden wishes to own.
The Takeaway
Pfizer’s claim might purchase time, however it likewise signifies worry. That is, worry of missing out on the next multibillion-dollar fat-loss franchise. Novo Nordisk wishes to own it. Pfizer wishes to stop it. However as the giants battle over who gets the future of weight-loss, Viking might currently have it secured.
Read Next:
Image: Shutterstock