The Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis announced on Sunday the signing of an agreement to acquire the American biotechnology firm Avidity Biosciences for approximately 12 billion dollars.

Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant, announced on Sunday that it has agreed to acquire Avidity Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, valued at 12 billion dollars. This acquisition will create a portfolio of leading products in the field of spinal muscular atrophy and genetic neuromuscular diseases. The transaction is expected to be finalized in the first half of 2026, after Avidity's precision cardiology programs are spun off into a new company.

Novartis CEO, Vas Narasimhan, emphasized the company's commitment to delivering innovative and life-changing medicines. In the context of pressures from the Trump administration to move production to the U.S., Novartis previously announced a 23 billion dollar investment in the United States over the next five years.