British drugmaker AstraZeneca has said that it was exploring “potential strategic options” with Acerta Pharma, a privately held cancer-drug developer with operations in the Netherlands and California.
An acquisition would be the latest such deal by AstraZeneca as it seeks to bolster its pipeline of cancer treatments. The company fought off a $119 billion takeover bid by Pfizer last year, which would have created the world’s largest pharmaceutical company.
“There can be no certainty that any transaction will ultimately be entered into, or as to the terms of any transaction,” AstraZeneca said Monday in a news release. The company said it would make a further announcement “if and when appropriate”.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that AstraZeneca was in advanced talks to buy Acerta Pharma for more than $5 billion.
Since fighting off the Pfizer bid, AstraZeneca, which has an attractive portfolio of cancer drugs, has trumpeted the strength of its own drugs in development and has said it would be willing to pursue small to midsize deals to bolster its pipeline.
In November, it agreed to acquire ZS Pharma, a California-based biopharmaceutical company, for $2.7 billion in cash. AstraZeneca also cut a deal in November with Sanofi to exchange their proprietary chemical compounds.
– The New York Times News Service
