Baker McKenzie advises Chord Therapeutics SA on its sale to Merck KGaA

Baker McKenzie advised Chord Therapeutics SA ("Chord") and its shareholders on the sale of all the shares in Chord to Merck KGaA ("Merck"). The acquisition is subject to regulatory clearances. This strategic acquisition will enable Merck to expand its neurology portfolio in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Chord is a Swiss-based biopharmaceutical company that develops drugs for patients with rare, life-threatening and severely disabling diseases. Merck is a German-based leading science and technology company.

Martin Frey (partner, M&A) and Kevin Ardüser (associate, M&A) led the Baker McKenzie team advising Chord and its shareholders on all the legal aspects of the transaction. The team also included Pascal Richard (partner, M&A), Boris Wenger (partner, competition) and Julia Schieber (associate, IP).

In 2020, Baker McKenzie advised one of the shareholders of Chord — Omega Fund Management, LLC, a US-based global leader in healthcare investing — in Chord's Series A financing round.