BERLIN, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Switzerland's Novartis

will acquire Tourmaline Bio ( TRML ) with an offer

price of $48 per share, in a deal valuing the New York-based

company at $1.4 billion on a fully diluted basis, it said on

Tuesday.

Novartis said it expected the deal to close in the fourth

quarter and for Tourmaline to become an indirect, wholly owned

subsidiary.

(Writing by Miranda Murray; Editing by Jamie Freed)