Novartis on Monday said it will buy Avidity for $12 billion.
The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026, after Avidity spins out parts of its business, including its early-stage precision cardiology programs, the company said in a statement.
Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan applauded the announcement.
“Avidity’s pioneering AOC platform for RNA therapeutics and its late-stage assets bolster our commitment to delivering innovative, targeted and potentially first-in-class medicines to treat devastating, progressive neuromuscular diseases,” he said. “The Avidity team has built robust programs with industry-leading delivery of RNA therapeutics to muscle tissue. We look forward to developing these programs to meaningfully change the trajectory of diseases for patients.”
Avidity officials say the company is committed to delivering a new class of pioneering RNA therapeutics called Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates for serious, genetic neuromuscular diseases.
The proposed acquisition will bring Avidity’s late-stage neuroscience programs into Novartis and provide Novartis access to a differentiated RNA-targeting delivery platform. These programs are expected to advance the company’s neuroscience strategy and complement the current pipeline with potential first-in-class therapeutic candidates that address the genetic drivers of muscle-damaging conditions.
The acquisition raises the expected 2024-2029 sales CAGR for Novartis from +5% to +6% CAGR, representing a significant opportunity to deliver substantial shareholder returns over time.
The proposed acquisition also is expected to create an industry-leading pipeline, building on the Novartis expertise in spinal muscular atrophy and commercialization capabilities in genetic neuromuscular diseases.
Avidity aims to deliver meaningful patient benefits by addressing root genetic causes, restoring muscle function, and potentially slowing disease progression. Its AOC platform combines the tissue specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the precision of oligonucleotides, enabling targeted delivery to previously hard-to-reach muscle cells.
AOCs carry disease-specific, oligonucleotide payloads intended to correct underlying genetic mechanisms and enable targeted, disease-modifying therapies with the potential to have significant impact on patient lives.
Avidity is based in San Diego.
