Pardes Biosciences (PRDS) to Be Acquired by MediPacific for $2.02-$2.19 Per Share
by Nicholas Alan Clayton on 2023-07-17 at 8:46am

Pardes Biosciences (NASDAQ:PRDS), which combined with FS Development Corp. II in December 2021, announced that it has agreed to be acquired by MediPacific for $2.02 to $2.19 per share for a premium of 8%-17% over its last closing price.

A tender offer for the company will launch on July 28 to acquire all outstanding Pardes shares within this price range. A MediPacific subsidiary will also receive a contingent value right (CVR) promising it 80% of net proceeds from any license of Pardes assets over the first five years following close.

Pardes’ main drug candidate Pomotrelvir is designed to inhibit the reproduction of coronavirus cells. It demonstrated potential effectiveness in Phase I trials against recent COVID-19 variant Omicron as well as the MERS and SARS variants discovered earlier.

But, its initial readouts from Phase II trials dropped in April and it did not meet its primary endpoint in producing better outcomes than a placebo.

Patients were otherwise healthy, vaccinated adults that had been infected with COVID-19 and although patients in both groups had dropping viral loads and improved health, the data indicated it was likely the vaccine rather than Pomotrelvir doing most of the work.

Pardes stock was in a slump even before these results, however. Having hit a post-close high of $16.88 in January 2022, it has traded below $5 since June 2022, despite being well-funded with just 1.2% redemptions from FS II’s $200 million trust.

But, as the world moved on from COVID, the market appears to have moved on from potential breakthroughs in treating it as well. Having hit an initial dead end with Pomotrelvir’s Phase II, the company announced it would suspend its development and seek out strategic alternatives.

From this standpoint, Pardes may be considered fortunate that it will still be effectively valued at about $130 million in this take-private.

 

Pardes Biosciences (PRDS) to Be Acquired by MediPacific for $2.02-$2.19 Per Share
Recent Posts
by Nicholas Alan Clayton on 2025-07-03 at 12:54pm

Crown PropTech (OTC:CPTKW) has entered into a definitive agreement to combine with rare earth mining firm Mkango Resources (TSX-V:MKA) at a pre-money equity value of $400 million. London-based Mkango is working to commercialize a chain of rare earth mining and refining facilities in Africa and Europe. The combined company is expected to trade on the...

by Nicholas Alan Clayton on 2025-07-03 at 8:27am

At the SPAC of Dawn One of the biggest sources of uncertainty in the SPAC market in recent years has been regulatory changes, but new shifts could be in its favor. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins told CNBC yesterday that the commission would review the rules for SPACs after “rather controversial” changes to the rules passed...

by Nicholas Alan Clayton on 2025-07-02 at 12:13pm

McKinley Acquisition Corporation (NASDAQ:MKLYU) has filed for a $150 million SPAC to hunt for an innovative target company with an experienced financial team that has dabbled in SPACs before. The new SPAC is offering investors one right to a 1/10 share in each unit with no overfunding of the trust, but it could provide a...

by Nicholas Alan Clayton on 2025-07-02 at 8:29am

At the SPAC of Dawn The rain of SPACs has continued with four expected to make their debuts during today’s trading sessions after pricing their IPOs overnight. The largest of these, EQV Ventures II (NASDAQ:EVACU), even managed an upsize, making it the largest SPAC IPO since Ares II (NYSE:AACT) pulled together $450 million in 2023....

by Nicholas Alan Clayton on 2025-07-02 at 6:28am

EQV Ventures II (NASDAQ:EVACU) announced the pricing of its upsized $420 million IPO and its units are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol “EVACU”, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. The new SPAC plans to merge with an energy target involved in upstream exploration or production. EQV II’s management team is led by...

logo

Copyright © 2025 SPACInsider, Inc. All Rights Reserved