Shire has acquired Meritage Pharma for an upfront fee of $70 million and additional payments based on development and regulatory milestones. Shire gains global rights to Meritage’s Phase III compound, an Oral Budesonide Suspension (OBS) for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a rare, chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal (GI) disease. Shire obtained the rights to acquire Meritage in connection with its acquisition of ViroPharma in 2014.   EoE is a chronic disease with an estim...