The top four executives at Synageva BioPharma Corp. received a combined $1.7 million increase in total compensation last year following the company’s successful merger with Trimeris Inc., according to federal filings. Additionally, three of those executives realized an extra $15.6 million in value through stock-option exercises during the year. Lexington, Mass.-based Synageva’s (Nasdaq: GEVA) all-stock deal for Durham, N.C.-based Trimeris was completed in November 2011. Sanj Patel, then CEO of Synageva, went on to head the merged company, which has seen a 250 percent increase in stock price since the deal closed. The combined company, which develops drugs for rare diseases, now has a market capitalization of approximately $1.48 billion.
