Capricor, Inc. and Nile Therapeutics, Inc. announced that they have entered into a merger agreement under which Capricor will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nile Therapeutics, Inc. in an all-stock transaction. Upon closing, the combined company will be named Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., and will operate under the leadership of the Capricor management team with Linda Marban, Ph.D. serving as Chief Executive Officer. In addition, the company's Board of Directors will have representatives from both the existing Capricor and Nile boards.