Nycomed has interest in Altana pharma ops

Danish drugmaker Nycomed has said it is interested in acquiring the pharmaceuticals arm of the German group Altana AG. Nycomed is understood to have a detailed report on the Altana drug sector and to have been satisfied enough by this to declare an interest. A spokesman for the Danish group said its focus was on a company with a strong market position in Europe.

Altana has declined to comment, although it has previously said it is in takeover talks (Marketletter May 8) but its share price rose 2% against the trend of the DAX index in Frankfurt following the Nycomed statement. The Danish firm is also understood to be supported in its current expansion plans by a number of financial investors including Nordic Capital, Credit Suisse, Blackstone and Private Equity. However, it is not clear as to how much talking has gone on between the two companies and any negotiations may well be at an early stage.

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