Merck Inc., to acquire ArQule Inc.,and with it ARQ 531 , oral Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor to treat B-cell malignancies

Merck and ArQule, Inc.announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Merck, through a subsidiary, will acquire ArQule for $20 per share in cash for an approximate total equity value of $2.7 billion. ArQule is a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company focused on kinase inhibitor discovery and development for the treatment of patients with cancer and other diseases. ArQule�s lead investigational candidate, ARQ 531, is a novel, oral Bruton�s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor currently in a Phase II dose expansion study for the treatment of B-cell malignancies.