Vertex Pharmaceuticals has agreed to acquire Crinetics Pharmaceuticals in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $10 billion, expanding Vertex’s presence in rare endocrine diseases and adding a marketed acromegaly therapy alongside a late-stage congenital adrenal hyperplasia candidate.
Under the definitive agreement, Vertex will pay $85.00 per Crinetics share in cash. The transaction represents an equity value of about $10.0 billion, or approximately $8.8 billion after accounting for estimated cash acquired. Both companies’ boards of directors unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.
The acquisition centers on Crinetics’ commercial product PALSONIFY, or paltusotine, and its Phase III pipeline candidate atumelnant. PALSONIFY was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in September 2025 for adults with acromegaly, a rare endocrine disorder usually caused by a pituitary tumor that produces excessive growth hormone.
The medicine is a once-daily oral treatment and is also reported to have received European regulatory approval, while reviews in other markets are ongoing. Crinetics said PALSONIFY has shown early commercial momentum since launch, supported by demand across patient groups, broader prescribing activity and increasing reimbursement coverage.
Acromegaly affects an estimated 20,000 diagnosed patients in the United States. The condition can lead to serious long-term complications if excess growth hormone levels are not controlled. PALSONIFY is positioned as the first and only once-daily oral therapy for adults with the disease, offering an alternative to treatment approaches that may require injectable medicines or surgery.
Vertex is also acquiring rights to atumelnant, an oral adrenocorticotropic hormone receptor antagonist in Phase III development for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a chronic genetic disorder affecting the adrenal glands and is associated with impaired cortisol production and, in many patients, excessive androgen levels.
The company estimates that approximately 17,000 patients in the United States are addressable for treatment in classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Current management often relies on glucocorticoid therapy, which can require doses above normal physiologic replacement levels to control excess androgen production and may be associated with significant side effects.
In Phase II studies, Crinetics reported that patients receiving atumelnant achieved near-normalization of excess androgen levels while taking physiologic replacement doses of glucocorticoids. The company said the treatment was generally well tolerated, with no treatment-related severe or serious adverse events reported to date.
Reshma Kewalramani, president and chief executive officer of Vertex, said Crinetics aligns with Vertex’s strategy of developing and commercializing therapies for serious diseases with substantial unmet need and well-understood biology.
Vertex expects its commercial experience in rare genetic diseases to support the continued launch of PALSONIFY and the potential future commercialization of atumelnant. The acquisition also adds to Vertex’s growth strategy beyond its cystic fibrosis franchise, giving the company a stronger position in rare endocrine disorders and specialty pharmaceutical markets.
Scott Struthers, founder and chief executive officer of Crinetics, said Vertex’s global infrastructure and commercial footprint could expand the reach of Crinetics’ medicines and pipeline for patients living with underserved endocrine conditions.