Vertex to buy Alpine Immune Sciences for $4.9 billion

Vertex Pharmaceuticals will buy Alpine Immune Sciences, a maker of protein-based medicines that harness the immune system, for $4.9 billion, the companies announced Wednesday.

It is the largest acquisition in Vertex’s history.

The acquisition gives Vertex a drug called povetacicept, which has shown promise in treating IgA nephropathy (IgAN), an autoimmune disorder of the kidney that can lead to end-stage renal disease and affects 130,000 people in the U.S. The drug will enter Phase 3 clinical development in the second half of the year.

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