The chief executive officers of Actelion Ltd. and Amgen Inc. met last week to discuss Amgen’s interest in the Swiss biotechnology company, according to three people with knowledge of the situation.
Amgen Chief Executive Officer Kevin Sharer, who has been considering a takeover bid for Actelion, made no formal offer, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions aren’t public. Actelion CEO Jean-Paul Clozel wants to keep the company independent, yet stay on good terms with a potential suitor, one of the people said.
Sharer told Clozel that Amgen was studying the situation, another person said. Amgen wanted to gauge Clozel’s interest in a possible sale versus that of the Swiss company’s board, this person said. Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology company, would gain new medicines for cardiovascular diseases by buying Allschwil, Switzerland-based Actelion.
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