Merck to take on superbugs with Cubist Pharma buy
By Vidya L Nathan and Ben Hirschler (Reuters) – Merck & Co Inc said it would buy Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc for $8.4 billion plus assumption of debt, giving the major drugmaker an entry into the market for drugs that combat so-called superbugs. The deal is the latest sign that large pharmaceutical companies are turning their attention back to antibiotics after decades of low investment. …