(Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to incentivize U.S. companies to repatriate their swelling overseas cash piles could spur a new wave of dealmaking in a pharmaceutical industry seeking to buy its way into growth. For years, big U.S. drugmakers have turned to acquisitions of foreign companies to put their overseas cash to work, […]
Mergers & Acquisitions
Sanofi throws hat in the ring with J&J’s in Actelion pursuit
Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) is reportedly considering a bid for Actelion Pharmaceuticals (VTX:ATLN), competing with an offer made to the Swiss biotech by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ). Bloomberg reported that Sanofi is working with advisers to assess its options and has made its interest known informally to Actelion. The French drugmaker has not made a formal comment on the matter […]
Hedge funds betting on J&J after Actelion remains silent on takeover bid
Despite reports this week that Actelion Pharmaceuticals (VTX:ATLN) rejected Johnson & Johson‘s (NYSE:JNJ) 2nd takeover bid, hedge funds are piling into the Swiss biotech firm, encouraged by Actelion’s silence on the matter. The 2 companies have been engaged in informal talks for 2 months, according to Reuters, and the latest offer was pegged at 250 Swiss francs per share. […]
Actelion rejects J&J’s takeover offer
Swiss biotech firm Actelion Pharmaceuticals (VTX:ATLN) reportedly rejected Johnson & Johnson‘s (NYSE:JNJ) 2nd takeover offer, sending it shares down -6% in afternoon trading yesterday. The 2 companies have been engaged in informal talks for 2 months, according to Reuters, and the latest offer was pegged at 250 Swiss francs per share. J&J’s $270 billion bid for Actelion tempted shareholders, […]
Report: J&J raises the stakes in Actelion pursuit
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has reportedly raised its offer for Swiss biotech firm Actelion Pharmaceuticals (VTX:ATLN), pressuring the company to accept a takeover deal. The companies have been in talks for nearly 2 months but so far have not reached a deal, according to Reuters. The news outlet reported that Actelion wants J&J to become a major shareholder […]
Catalent to float $400m debt offering
Catalent (NYSE:CTLT) said today that it plans to fund its acquisition of soft-gel pharmaceutical capsule manufacturer Accucaps Industries Ltd with a $400 million debt offering. The Somerset, N.J.-based company said the private placement offering of euro-dominated senior unsecured notes due in 2024 will also be used to repay some of the outstanding borrowings under its senior […]
Navidea deals NA Lymphoseek rights to Cardinal Health in $310m deal
Navidea Biopharmaceuticals (NYSE:NAVB) said today that it inked a definitive asset purchase agreement with Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH) for its Lymphoseek product. Dublin, Ohio-based Navidea said it’s due to receive $80 million at closing for the lymphatic mapping and lymph node biopsy product, plus the opportunity for $230 million in milestone payments through 2026. More than $20 […]
J&J approaches Actelion
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is reportedly in preliminary discussions to buy Actelion Pharmaceuticals (VTX:ATLN) in a deal estimated to be as high as $247 (250 Swiss francs) per share, although the European biotech said there is no guarantee the deal will go through. J&J’s CEO Alex Gorsky said this year that the company is interested in deals […]
Allergan expands neurological portfolio with $125m Chase Pharmaceuticals buy
Allergan (NYSE:AGN) said today that it acquired Chase Pharmaceuticals for an upfront payment of $125 million, expanding the Dublin-based company’s neurological portfolio. Washington, D.C.-based Chase is developing a combination therapy of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and a cholinergic blocker in the hopes of improving cognition in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitors available on the […]
Vectura on the hunt for specialized lung drug business
(Reuters) — James Ward-Lilley, the former AstraZeneca executive who created a UK respiratory medicine business in June by merging Vectura and SkyePharma, is already thinking about his next deal. This time he’d like to buy a company with an established U.S. sales force to accelerate the group’s ambitions as it develops specialized lung drugs that are […]
