UCB Offers to Buy Schwarz Pharma

Frankfurt, Germany (Sept. 25)––UCB SA (Brussels, Belgium, www.ucb-group.com) has offered EUR 4.4 billion ($5.64 billion) in cash and stocks to acquire Schwarz Pharma AG (Monheim, Germany, www.schwarzpharma.com). If approved, the combined company will be called UCB and will be based in Brussels.

The UCB offer of EUR 50 per share ($64.09) in cash and 0.8735 UCB shares was accepted by the Schwarz family, which owns 60% of the stock. Schroders Investment Management Ltd. and Capital Research and Management, which combined hold nearly 8% of Schwarz’s stock, also agreed to the deal.

The deal would create a company with annual revenues of more than EUR 3 billion ($4.23 billion) and annual research and development spending of more than EUR 700 million (almost $1 billion).