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Oud berichtje:
Novartis may help Altana find its next block-buster
November 1, 2005
Frankfurt - Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Novartis is interested in buying the drug-making business of German specialist Altana, the business daily Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday, quoting industry sources.
Altana and Novartis had already held talks, but had not yet agreed on the value of the business, the sources said.
Neither company was willing to comment on the information, Handelsblatt added.
Altana has instructed investment bank Goldman Sachs to examine all possible options with a regard to a possible sale - either of the majority stake or of the division as a whole - company sources had said Monday.
The German group had embarked on a search for potential partners for the business, which has suffered a number of setbacks in its research pipeline recently, the sources said, without providing any further details.
Altana has itself said in recent months that it might float the activities on the stock exchange at the end of next year.
Altana's block-buster stomach ulcer drug Pantoprazole is set to lose patent protection in 2009-2010, but the company is having difficulty in developing a new blockbuster to replace it.
The asthma treatments, Alvesco and Daxas, have both encountered serious difficulties in clinical trials.
The pharmaceuticals division accounts for more than two thirds of group sales and is estimated to be worth between €4.5-€6 billion (R36.1-R48.2 billion). - AFP
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Novartis chief coy on Serono interest - newspaper
Friday 16 December 2005, 1:09pm EST
ZURICH, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The head of Switzerland's Novartis (NOVN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) declined to be pinned down on whether his company was interested in buying biotech firm Serono (SEO.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) in comments he gave to a newspaper on Friday.
"Almost every company has something that is exciting, but almost every company also has many things that are not very attractive. That's all I want to say," Chief Executive and Chairman Daniel Vasella was quoted as saying by the Finanz und Wirtschaft newspaper in an interview.
Serono, the world's third-biggest biotech firm, said in November it had hired Goldman Sachs to help it consider its strategic options, sparking talk it could be up for sale.
Novartis was one of six possible suitors cited by sources as interested in the group, which could fetch as much as $15 billion. Vasella had earlier declined to comment on whether he was interested in Serono.
Acquisitions should bring Novartis a solid pipeline of new products and not just add to sales, Vasella also said in the interview, which was released ahead of publication on Saturday.
Investors have worried about the lack of strong late-stage drug candidates in Serono's pipeline and its reliance on multiple sclerosis drug Rebif.
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Altana has instructed investment bank Goldman Sachs ......
Serono, the world's third-biggest biotech firm, said in November it had hired Goldman Sachs