Marea Acquired by Lisata, Secures $225 Million Investment

Biotech company Marea Therapeutics has secured $225 million (approximately ₩301.5 billion) in investment following its acquisition by Lisata Therapeutics.

According to BioPharma Dive on the 18th local time, Lisata acquired Marea through a stock-for-stock transaction. Marea shareholders will hold approximately 60% of the merged company, a group of new investors will hold 38%, and existing Lisata shareholders will hold 2%.

The investor group, which includes Marea’s existing investors Foresite, VenBio and Third Rock Ventures, has agreed to invest $225 million to support drug development.

Lisata had previously agreed to be acquired by its development partner, Kuva Labs, but the deal fell through after Kuva Labs failed to secure financing. After cutting 72% of its total workforce in August and filing a lawsuit against Kuva Labs, Lisata has been exploring strategic alternatives, including a sale.

Through the acquisition, Lisata will gain a drug pipeline targeting cardiovascular and endocrine diseases. MAR001/005, which Marea licensed from Novartis, is a candidate that inhibits the ANGPTL4 protein, which is highly expressed in adipose tissue. It is currently in a phase 2b trial for severe hypertriglyceridemia, a condition characterized by abnormally high blood lipid levels.

Another candidate, MAR002, is being evaluated in a phase 2 trial in patients with acromegaly, a rare hormonal disorder. Results from both clinical trials are expected in the fourth quarter of 2027.

The investment will be used primarily for Marea’s drug development and is expected to fund company operations through 2028. Josh Lehrer, Lisata’s chief operating officer and president, said, "The merger with Lisata will enable our first-in-class antibody programs to reach patients more quickly."