Dec 8 (Reuters) – Mirum Pharmaceuticals said on Monday it will acquire Bluejay Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $820 million, adding a late-stage experimental drug for a severe liver disease to its portfolio.
Under the agreement, Mirum will pay $250 million in cash and $370 million in stock upfront, plus up to $200 million in potential sales-based milestone payments.
“This acquisition fits squarely with what we do best – advancing high-impact medicines for patients with rare diseases,” said Mirum CEO Chris Peetz.
The deal will give Mirum worldwide rights to brelovitug, a monoclonal antibody being tested for chronic hepatitis D, a rare and aggressive liver condition that affects about 230,000 people in the United States and Europe and currently has no approved therapies.
Hepatitis D is considered the most severe form of the viral disease, which occurs only in people already infected with hepatitis B and can lead to rapid liver damage and cancer. Nearly half of those diagnosed die from liver-related complications within 10 years, according to Mirum.
In a mid-stage study, brelovitug cut hepatitis D virus levels in all patients treated for 48 weeks, with up to 82% also showing normalized liver enzyme levels.
Mirum said it has also secured $200 million through a private placement with healthcare investors to help fund the drug’s development and commercialization.
The drug is currently in a late-stage study, with results expected in the second half of 2026. If successful, Mirum plans to seek U.S. regulatory approval and potentially launch the treatment in 2027.
The deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
