London (Aug. 9)— Hikma Pharmaceuticals, a multinational pharmaceuticals group, agreed to acquire the entire issued share capital of Alkan Pharma, an Egyptian pharmaceuticals company, for a cash consideration of $60.5 million. The acquisition is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2007, subject to meeting certain regulatory requirements. The acquisition will be funded entirely by debt.

New York (Aug. 8)— American Oriental Bioengineering, a manufacturer and distributor of plant-based pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, signed a legally binding letter of intent to acquire Guangxi Boke Pharmaceutical, a privately owned plant-based healthcare company, in a transaction valued at approximately $40.0 million.

Bad Vilbel, Germany (Aug. 3)—Stada acquired the Russian pharmaceuticals group Makiz through a contract on the purchase of 100% of the shares of Zao Makiz-Pharma, Zao Skopinpharm and Zao Biodyne Pharmaceuticals. The contract was concluded by Stada's Russian subsidiary Nizhpharm Oao, Nizhny Novgorod. The staggered purchase price, which partly depends on the results of fiscal year 2007, is expected to amount to a total of approximately EUR 125 million ($172 million) less net debt of the group at closing, but will be EUR 135 million ($186 million) at maximum.

South San Francisco, CA (Aug. 2)— Genentech announced that the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act has expired and it has completed the acquisition of Tanox, Inc. Tanox shareholders approved the merger agreement on January 15, 2007.