Pfizer Inc. has agreed to buy Global Blood Therapeutics Inc. in a deal valued at $5.4 billion, the companies said Monday, confirming a report by the Wall Street Journal. Pfizer will pay $68.50 a share in cash for Global Blood Therapeutics, which has one of few approved treatments for sickle-cell disease,
a painful inherited blood disorder that most affects people of African, Middle Eastern and South Asian descent. The acquisition “complements and further enhances Pfizer’s more than 30-year heritage in rare hematology and reinforces the company’s commitment to SCD by bringing expertise and a leading portfolio and pipeline with the potential to address the full spectrum of critical needs in this underserved community,” Pfizer said in a statement. The news sent Global Blood Therapeutics shares up 4.3% premarket. Pfizer will finance the deal using cash on hand.
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