January 9, 2012 1:41 PM
Kirkland, Dechert Advise as Bristol-Myers Squibb Acquires Inhibitex for $2.5 Billion
Posted by Chris Johnson
Kirkland Ellis and Dechert have scored the lead legal advisory roles on a deal under which pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb Company will pay $2.5 billion to acquire Inhibitex, Inc., which specializes in creating drugs for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.
Terms of the all-cash deal, which the companies announced late Saturday, call for Bristol to pay $26 per share for Inhibitex—a premium of more than 160 percent premium over the Alpharetta, Georgia–based company’s $9.87 closing price on Friday.
The transaction, which both companies’ boards have already approved, is expected to reach financial close in first quarter of the year and is pursuant to a cash tender offer and second-step merger, according to the companies.
The New York Times notes that Inhibitex’s main drug, INX-189, is an oral medication being developed for hepatitis C that the company “hopes will form the basis for simpler treatments of the disease.”
Bristol-Myers Squibb CEO Lamberto Andreotti said in a statement that the Inhibitex acquisition “enriches our portfolio of investigational medicines
Read More from the Article Source: Full Article
