默克欲以超70億美元收購Cubist

　　默克公司上周五傳出一則即將完成的交易，欲用超過70億美元收購Cubist Pharmaceuticals。預計該交易將在本周內正式公布，這宗交易也是默克通過收購中型制藥公司來擴展業務戰略的一部分。

　　按照收購對價100美元/股計算，Cubist公司價值近75億美元，相比周五收盤時價格溢價超過34%。位于馬薩諸塞州的Cubist主要生產抗生素類藥物，其旗艦產品Cubicin（克必信）在2013年銷售額達9.67億美元。盡管抗生素藥物利潤普遍不被看好，但分析人士預計，新型抗生素仍然可以為公司賺取高額利潤。

　　 根據公司公布，Cusbist第三季度銷售額達3.09億美元，較去年同期增長16%。去年，Cubist也收購了一些小型公司，如Trius和Optimer，進一步鞏固了其在抗生素市場的地位。

　　 默克是繼輝瑞后的美國第二大制藥商，擁有超過1740億美元的公司市值，據報道，默克公司2014年三季度銷售額達105.6億美元。今年6月，公司以38.5億美元的價格收購了主要生產抗病毒類藥物的Idenix Pharmaceuticals，10月，又將其消費類業務以142億美元的價格出售給了拜耳（Bayer）。

Merck Tries To Acquire Cubist Pharmaceuticals For More Than $7B

　　Merck & Co. is near closing a deal to buy Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ：CBST), an antibiotics-maker, in a deal worth more than $7 billion, reports said Friday citing company officials. The deal, which is expected to be announced next week, comes as a part of Merck’s strategy to buy mid-size drug makers to expand its business.

　　New Jersey-based Merck would pay nearly $100 per share for Cubist, valuing the company at nearly $7.5 billion, about 34 percent more than Cubist’s closing price on Friday,

　　The Wall Street Journal reported. Massachusetts-based Cubist makes drugs that fight infectious diseases and manufactures its flagship drug Cubicin, which recorded sales of $967 million in 2013. Although antibiotics are not considered to be a lucrative option for the drug industry, analysts expect that new versions could earn high profits for the companies.

　　The deal would also allow Merck to access Cubist’s medicines, which are mostly used in hospitals,according to CNBC.

　　Cusbist’s focus area for its products is on manufacturing drugs that could address “significant unmet medical needs,”

　　including diseases that lead to global pandemics, according to the New York Times. The company reported sales of $309 million in the third quarter of this year, showing an increase of 16 percent over the last year for the same quarter. Last year, Cubist had also acquired smaller businesses like Trius and Optimer, further expanding its foothold on antibiotics segment, CNBC reported.

　　Merck, which is the second largest American drugmaker after Pfizer (NYSE：PFE), has a market value of over $174 billion and reported sales worth $10.56 billion in the third quarter of 2014, the Times reported. While the company’s vaccine for cervical cancer faces increased competition, its diabetes drug, the largest line for the company, continues to clock high sales.

　　In October, Merck also closed a deal to sell its consumer business to Bayer for $14.2 billion. In June, Merck bought Idenix Pharmaceuticals, which makes drugs for treating human viral diseases, for $3.85 billion.