Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Cephalon, Inc.announced that their Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which Teva will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Cephalon for $81.50 per share in cash, or a total enterprise value of approximately $6.8 billion. The transaction is not conditioned on financing and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2011. The transaction reinforces Teva’s long term strategy of building out its branded and specialty pharmaceuticals business through diversification and expansion of the company’s product portfolio and pipeline. The combined company will utilize its complementary commercial, R&D and operational capabilities.
It will capture value by providing customers with a broad spectrum of specialty branded products. The combined company’s sizable branded portfolio represents approximately $7 billion in sales, with a robust pipeline including more than 30 late-stage compounds. The transaction will create immediate and sustainable value in niche therapeutic areas including CNS, oncology, respiratory and pain management. The combined company will become a leader in specialty pharma.