Reshma Kewalramani

Money Moves

As of September 2026: Leading Vertex's expansion beyond cystic fibrosis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals closed its $10 billion acquisition of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals on September 1, 2026, the largest deal in the company's history. Crinetics shareholders received $85 per share in cash, and the San Diego biotech is now a wholly owned Vertex subsidiary.

Updated Sep 2

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Leading Vertex through pain medication expansion

For more than 20 years, doctors facing patients in severe pain had two choices: prescribe opioids that risked addiction, or use weaker alternatives that often fell short. On January 30, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved suzetrigine—brand name Journavx—ending that drought as the first entirely new class of pain medication since the late 1990s.

Updated May 27

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Leading Vertex as generic competition emerges

A generic version of Trikafta—the cystic fibrosis drug that extends lives by decades—hit the market at $12,750 per year. That's 95% cheaper than Vertex Pharmaceuticals' brand-name version, which costs over $300,000 annually. The brand-name drug has generated billions while remaining out of reach for patients in developing nations and many Americans with inadequate insurance.

Updated May 20