Novartis may have bought MorphoSys, but it really only had eyes for BET inhibitor pelabresib: filing

Novartis may have emerged victorious from a bidding war for MorphoSys, but a peek into the deal negotiations reveals that the Swiss pharma would have been happier if it could have walked away with one specific asset.

Despite handing over 2.7 billion euros ($2.9 billion) cash to buy out the German biotech in February, the star of the show in Novartis’ eyes was always pelabresib, according to deal-related documents published yesterday. MorphoSys had been testing the BET inhibitor in combination with Incyte’s Jakafi in patients with myelofibrosis.