German healthcare company Fresenius (ETR:FRE) said today that it bought U.S. generic drugmaker Akorn Inc. (NSDQ:AKRX) for $4.75 billion and Merck KGaA’s biosimilars business. Since chief executive Stephan Sturm took the helm in June, the company has made takeovers a key part of its strategy. Fresenius bought a Spanish hospital chain for 5.8 billion euros […]
Mergers & Acquisitions
Becton Dickinson to acquire Bard in $24B deal
Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) has inked an agreement with C. R. Bard (NYSE:BCR) to acquire the medtech company for $317.00 per Bard common share in cash and stock, valuing the deal at $24 billion. In announcing the deal yesterday, Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based BD said it plans to create a new segment within the company, BD Interventional, to […]
Report: Fresenius set to buy generics maker Akorn
German healthcare group Fresenius SE (NYSE:FMS) reportedly said last week that it is in talks with generic drugmaker Akorn Inc. (NSDQ:AKRX) for a potential takeover. Akorn shares jumped 10% to $32.60 on news of the potential bid. Fresenius said in a statement that there is no guarantee that any deal will happen as a result of […]
After review of patient deaths, European regulators OK Actelion’s Uptravi
The European Medicines Agency told doctors today that they can continue to prescribe Actelion‘s (VTX:ATLN) pulmonary arterial hypertension drug, Uptravi. The regulatory body initiated a safety review in January after 5 patients in France died and docs were asked to stop prescribing the drug. Regulators reported that their review did not suggest an increase in mortality […]
German billionaire Hopp readies sale of skin patch maker LTS
German billionaire Dietmar Hopp is reportedly preparing to sell medical skin patch maker LTS Lohmann as he looks to shake-up his investment porfolio. LTS has 1,300 employees and brings in more than 300 million euros ($319 million) in annual sales from nicotine and medical patches that treat conditions such as Parkinson’s and restless legs syndrome. […]
Actelion shareholders OK R&D spinout
Actelion (VTX:ATLN) shareholders today reportedly approved spinning off the company’s early clinical assets and drug discovery branch into a new company. The move keeps Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) $30 billion takeover on track to close in the 2nd quarter. The newly formed biopharmaceutical company will be called Idorsia Ltd and led by Actelion CEO Jean-Paul Clozel. Shares in Idorsia […]
Johnson & Johnson’s tender offer for Actelion snares 78% stake
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) said today that it controls nearly 78% of voting rights in its $30 billion acquisition of Swiss biotech firm Actelion (VTX:ATLN). Janssen, J&J’s Swiss subsidiary, declared the tender offer successful. The company added that based on regulatory approval proceedings, the offer is expected to settle in the 2nd quarter of this year. J&J will have […]
Pulmatrix jumps 8% on rumors of potential Mylan takeover bid
Shares in Pulmatrix (NSDQ:PULM) jumped more than 8% today on rumors that the company’s collaboration partner Mylan (NSDQ:MYL) may be interested in a takeover bid. In 2015, the 2 companies inked an ex-U.S. development deal for PUR0200, Pulmatrix’s investigational bronchodilator for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mylan had an option on the rights […]
NuTech Medical acquired by Organogenesis
Organogenesis said today that it acquired NuTech Medical for an undisclosed price. The combined company plans to feature a portfolio of wound care products and surgical biologics. Birmingham, Alabama-based NuTech Medical will keep it’s non-biologics product line as a separate company called NuTech Spine. “This is an important transaction for the regenerative medicine field. It unites […]
The top medtech stories of early 2017
The new Trump administration and Republican Congress – and all the accompanying change and uncertainty – is the major story for the medical device industry. But there are many other medtech stories worth noting from the first quarter of 2017. There was an FDA warning over Abbott’s Absorb bioresorbable stent, a continued spate of M&A deals, diabetes […]
