Verona Pharma (VRNA) Jumps 125% YTD; Merck $10-Billion Acquisition Bolsters Sentiment

We recently published 10 Stocks Exploded Over 100%; One Shockingly Soared 11,000%. Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) is one of the top-performing mid-cap companies of the first half of the year.

Verona Pharma has seen its stock price jump by 125 percent year-to-date, closing at $104.74 versus $46.44 in the last trading day of 2024, with its recent rally largely bolstered by Merck & Co. Inc.’s (NYSE:MRK) announcement that it would acquire the UK-based firm for $10 billion.

Merck revealed last week that it officially entered into an agreement with Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) for the acquisition of its American Depository Share (ADS) at a price of $107 apiece, each representing eight VRNA shares.

Upon completion, Merck will effectively add Verona Pharma plc’s (NASDAQ:VRNA) COPD treatment Ohtuvayre into its growing cardio-pulmonary portfolio.

Approved by the FDA in June 2024, Ohtuvayre is the first novel inhaled mechanism for the treatment of COPD in more than 20 years and combines bronchodilator and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory effects. The medicine is also being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.

While we acknowledge the potential of VRNA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.