Merck to acquire Inspire

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) will acquire ophthalmic company Inspire Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:ISPH) for $5 per share, or about $430 million in cash. The price is a 26% premium to Inspire's Monday close of $3.98, before the deal was announced.

Merck said Inspire's commercial organization will strengthen its ophthalmology business, including the pharma's Saflutan tafluprost, which is under review in the U.S. to reduce elevated intraocular pressure in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Saflutan is approved in several European countries, including the U.K., Spain and Italy. ...