, Columnist
In Drug Deals, $3.1 Billion Isn't Exactly Full-Blooded
Novo Nordisk risks getting sucked into an auction for Ablynx.
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Novo Nordisk A/S has a fight on its hands to fulfill its ambition to buy Belgian biotech Ablynx NV. A deal would make sense for the Danish pharmaceuticals group, but Ablynx's defenses are strong and the target is rightly demanding that Novo pays more than the $3.1 billion it is dangling.
Ablynx, which listed in 2007, had a breakthrough in October with favorable late-stage trial data for caplacizumab, a treatment for the rare bleeding disorder Acquired Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. The next step for Ablynx is to secure regulatory approval for capla, and then bring it to market.