Novartis has entered into an agreement to acquire Tourmaline Bio, Inc. ("Tourmaline") (Nasdaq: TRML), a New York-based, publicly traded clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing pacibekitug, an anti-IL-6 mAb, as a treatment option for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Pacibekitug complements Novartis’ cardiovascular strategy by targeting IL-6, a key upstream cytokine that promotes systemic inflammation, thus addressing a critical unmet need. With Phase 2 (1) trials already well advanced, Novartis will acquire a Phase 3 ready asset which will complement its existing cardiovascular disease portfolio.

"With no widely adopted anti-inflammatory therapies currently available for cardiovascular risk reduction, pacibekitug represents a potential breakthrough in addressing residual inflammatory risk in ASCVD with a differentiated mechanism of action targeting IL-6," said Shreeram Aradhye, President, Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis. "Inflammation is a major driver of cardiovascular disease, and the team at Tourmaline has made significant progress with this asset. We are excited to bring pacibekitug into the Novartis portfolio and collaborate with the Tourmaline team to advance its development as we diversify our efforts in cardiovascular care."

Pacibekitug is an investigational anti-IL-6 IgG2 human monoclonal antibody designed to mitigate systemic inflammation implicated in ASCVD and has demonstrated high affinity binding to IL-6. The Phase 2 TRANQUILITY 90-day study results which were released on May 20, 2025, showed that pacibekitug reduced median high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels by 85% through day 90 at a dose of 15 mg once monthly and by 86% at a dose of 50 mg delivered quarterly, with overall incidence rates of adverse events and serious adverse events comparable to placebo. These promising results underscore the potential for pacibekitug to address the unmet need in cardiovascular care by targeting residual inflammatory risk more effectively than current therapies and with convenient once quarterly administration.

Transaction details

Under the terms of the transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, Novartis will, through an indirect wholly owned subsidiary, commence a tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Tourmaline common stock. Holders of Tourmaline common stock would receive USD 48 per share in cash at closing.

Following completion of the tender offer, Novartis expects to merge the acquiring subsidiary with and into Tourmaline, resulting in Tourmaline becoming an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Novartis.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions, including the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of Tourmaline common stock and the receipt of regulatory approvals. Until closing, Novartis and Tourmaline will continue to operate as separate and independent companies.

About Novartis in Cardiovascular Disease

At Novartis, our mission is to ensure no heart is lost too soon. We envision a world where preventable cardiovascular deaths are no longer part of our lives. We’re proud of the positive impact we’ve made over the past 40 years and remain dedicated to tackling the most challenging problems in CVD. Through cutting-edge science and technology, we are focusing on areas of high unmet need, including scaling our xRNA platform across multiple risk factors and pioneering breakthroughs for genetically driven CVD risk factors and common heart conditions, including atrial fibrillation.

We also work with patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations around the world to improve cardiovascular care beyond medicine alone. Together, we can help people with CVD enjoy longer, healthier lives and more time with their loved ones.

About Novartis

Novartis is an innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach more than 250 million people worldwide.

1. A Study to Evaluate TOUR006 in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease and Elevated Hs-CRP (TRANQUILITY). Clinicaltrials.gov. (2025). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06362759?tab=table