Buying a new company isn’t an easy process, as clearly shown by one of the industry’s most talked about potential mergers: Sanofi and Genzyme have been talking for months now, but there’s still no indication that a deal will take place. Sanofi made a tender offer last year to acquire the company at $69 per share, but had to extend the original December 2010 deadline to 21 Janaury 2011 after less than 1% of shares were tendered. The tender offer is still open, but there’s no indication that the result will be favorable to Sanofi. Read more »

There was no joy in Paris, at least at sanofi-aventis (Paris) headquarters, on Friday. When the company’s offer to acquire Genzyme (Cambridge, MA) at $69 per share expired that day, fewer than 1% of the biopharmaceutical company’s outstanding shares had been tendered. In response, sanofi extended its deadline to January 21, 2011 without modifying the terms of its offer. Why should the company expect a different result in six weeks’ time? Read more »

Genzyme, Genzyme, Genzyme… Most of us won’t have missed the company’s name splashed across dozens of news stories this week relating to a potential acquisition, the selling of its genetics unit and 1000 layoffs. First of all, there’s the ongoing question of whether Genzyme will succumb to sanofi-aventis’ acquisition offer. Genzyme reportedly rejected the offer of $69 per share at the end of August, but sanofi has yet to offer a higher price. Sanofi CEO Chris Viehbacher is still hoping for a “reasonable price”, according to a Reuters article, though he also added that he expects the process to be slow. A report from Bloomberg also speculated that the offer may have to be upped to $75 per share to please Genzyme investors. Read more »

Now it’s official. Rumors about sanofi-aventis’s (Paris) desire to purchase Genzyme (Cambridge, MA) have stirred speculation for weeks. The French drugmaker laid its cards on the table on Sunday by publishing its offer letter to Henri Termeer, Genzyme’s CEO. Sanofi proposed to pay $69 in cash per Genzyme share, or a total of about $18.5 billion, to acquire the biologics manufacturer. On Friday, Genzyme shares closed at $67.62.

Termeer’s response came this morning. It can be summed up in two words: nothing doing. Read more »

Have you ever allowed yourself what you thought was ample time to drive somewhere, only to be delayed by a construction crew that was repairing the roads? Obviously, things don’t always work out as we plan them. Judging by its latest announcement about its facility ameliorations, Genzyme (Cambridge, MA) must have learned this lesson, too. Read more »

The past two weeks have seen dozens of third-party headlines speculating about sanofi aventis possibly making a move to acquire Genzyme. Officially, there has been no word with both companies remaining extremely cagey about any of the details. However, Reuters, Bloomberg and a few other sources claim to have squeezed out a few dribbles of information from “people familiar with the situation” and anonymous staff members. So let’s take a look at what may (or may not be) the current situation. Read more »

In the current economic slump, generic versions of branded drugs have become a bigger thorn in innovators’ sides than before. To safeguard their profits for just a bit longer, many companies have paid generic-drug manufacturers to delay the introduction of their products to the market. US and European authorities have called these arrangements anticompetitive, though, and events on Capitol Hill last week indicate that they might not be tolerated much longer. Read more »

The US Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic version of the anticoagulant drug enoxaprin sodium injection on last Friday, July 23. Lovenox is the drug’s brand name, and it’s manufacturer, sanofi Aventis (Paris), was not happy about FDA’s decision. Read more »

The investment community is speculating that sanofi-aventis is interested in making a US-based acquisition, according to a July 2 Bloomberg News article, with possible acquisition targets being Allergan (Irvine, CA), Biogen Idec (Cambridge, MA), or Genzyme (Cambridge, MA). In a July 4 Wall Street Journal article, sanofi-aventis would not confirm such plans, stating that it does not respond to speculation. Only time will tell if such reports are accurate as information becomes available, but as the waiting game begins, would an acquisition be a good move for sanofi aventis? Read more »

This week sanofi-aventis agreed to acquire the consumer healthcare company Chattem for $1.9 billion, maker of such products as Selsun Blue haircare products and Gold Bond medicated powders and lotions. In a press release, sanofi says the move is part of its strategy of including consumer healthcare and over-the-counter products (OTC) as part of its core growth plans. The move also reflects Big Pharma’s increased interest in building some targeted revenue streams outside of innovator prescription drugs. Read more »