Choate advised long-time client Merida Biosciences in connection with its acquisition by Eli Lilly and Company in a transaction valued at up to $2.875 billion. Merida is advancing a new class of precision therapeutics designed to selectively degrade disease-causing autoantibodies for the treatment of serious autoimmune and allergic diseases. The acquisition will support the continued development of Merida’s innovative platform and pipeline, including its lead Phase 1 program for Graves’ disease and thyroid eye disease. Choate’s intellectual property team, led by Charles Lyon, Dana Daukss, Stephany Foster, and Tracy Yang, provided intellectual property counsel and support to Merida in connection with the transaction. Choate congratulates the entire Merida team on this important milestone and looks forward to its continued success in developing transformative treatments for patients with serious autoimmune and allergic diseases.