The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's competition authority, has granted approval for Novo Nordisk A/S to acquire all shares of Akero Therapeutics, Inc. This acquisition is notable as both companies are engaged in research related to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a severe liver condition.

Novo Nordisk, a leading international pharmaceutical company, is known for its diabetes and obesity treatments, including the popular medications Wegovy and Ozempic, which contain the active ingredient semaglutide. The company is also exploring semaglutide for treating chronic liver disease MASH, which can lead to life-threatening cirrhosis.

In contrast, Akero is still in the research phase and does not yet have any approved drugs. Its sole candidate, Efruxifermin (EFX), is expected to be used for both pre-cirrhotic MASH and cirrhosis, with ongoing clinical trials worldwide.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt, highlighted the significant unmet treatment needs for advanced liver disease, estimating that 250 million people are affected globally. He noted that the research pipelines of both companies overlap only in early disease stages, and they face competition from other pharmaceutical and biotech firms with approved products and advanced research projects.

The merger was evaluated under the legal framework concerning transaction value thresholds, which allows for the competitive assessment of mergers involving acquisitions over 400 million euros, even if the companies involved have low or no revenues.