Dive Brief:
- Although the companies are staying relatively mum, Switzerland-based Actelion and U.S. biotech company ZS Pharma have announced that they are in preliminary talks regarding a "strategic transaction."
- ZS Pharma's stock closed up 28.4% on Thursday on news of a potential acquisition by Actelion.
- Actelion's lead drug candidate, ZS-9, treats hyperalkemia, a build-up of excessive potassium in the body that could lead to heart failure.
Dive Insight:
Despite the lack of open commitment at the moment, it appears that Actelion and ZS Pharma are headed for some type of deal—potentially a buyout.
ZS Pharma currently has a market value of $1.9 billion. In addition to definitive news of the talks, Bloomberg reported last month that Actelion had offered to buy ZS Pharma last month for $2.5 billion.
The FDA won't rule on ZS-9 until May 2016, but a deal could come as early as this quarter, adding to an extraordinary string of biotech and healthcare M&As in 2015 that have upended the sectors' business landscape.