--挪威制药商Algeta 11月26日称，合作伙伴拜耳（Bayer）已向其提供了一份24亿美元的收购要约，该出价较该公司最后收盘价溢价27%。目前，双方正在合作开发一种新的前列腺癌药物Xofigo。
拜耳发言人证实了这一消息，称确已向Algeta发出收购要约，但不愿提供进一步的细节。
拜耳和Algeta制药自2009年起已经在联合开发Xofigo，拜耳拥有Xofigo的全球独家销售权。在美国，拜耳与Algeta共同推广该药。
对于拜耳而言，Algeta符合其CEO所提出的通过加强药品事业部来驱动增长的战略。该笔收购交易如果达成，将使拜耳获得Xofigo的完全控制权，并帮助提振其药物事业部。
Xofigo已于今年5月获FDA批准，并于本月获欧盟委员会（EC）批准，用于有症状骨转移及无已知内脏转移的阉割性前列腺癌（CRPC）患者的治疗。目前，拜耳和Algeta已经在美国销售该药物。
当前，由于面临着专利悬崖所致的重大收入损失，大型制药公司正在积极地寻求收购小型生物技术公司，来获得新的药物充实研发管线，而这一趋势正日益集中于抗癌药物领域。
今年8月，安进（Amgen）出价120亿美元收购Onyx制药，获得了多发性骨髓瘤药物Kyprolis的全部权利。该笔交易是史上第五大生物技术交易，同时也是自2001年出价160亿美元收购Immunex公司之后，安进达成的最大收购交易。
今年9月，日本大冢（Otsuka）同意出价8.86亿美元收购Astex制药，获得了血癌药物Dacogen和基于片段的药物发现技术PYRAMTD，该技术是过去20年来最重要的新药物发现平台之一，将大大加强大冢的肿瘤血管性并充实其系列肿瘤学产品。
此外，最近抗癌药物领域中发生的其他收购交易还包括，阿斯利康（AstraZeneca）耗资9.4亿美元收购美国抗癌药开发商Amplimmune和生物技术公司Spirogen，以加强其肿瘤学研发管线。
Xofigo销售潜力：
自上市后，尽管Xofigo在第三季度的销售额仅为1700万美元，但该药已于本月初获得了欧盟批准，分析师预计，Xofigo的销售将在未来几年中大幅增长。
根据汤姆森路透的一致预期，截止2018年，Xofigo的全球销售额将达到9.4亿美元，Algeta公司则认为，Xofigo届时的销售将超过10亿美元。
目前，用于治疗阉割性前列腺癌，一个剂量的Xofigo费用为1.15万美元，而治疗全程需6个剂量。
关于Xofigo：
Xofigo（radium 223 dichloride，镭223二氯）是FDA批准的首个α-粒子辐射放射性治疗药物，该药以一种完全新颖的方式改善患者的预后。
其活性部分（active moiety）模拟了钙离子（calcium），通过与骨骼中的羟基磷灰石（HAP）形成复合物，选择性地靶向骨骼，尤其是骨转移区域。镭233【α-发射器（80千电子伏/微米）】发射的高LET （linear energy transfer, 线性能量转移）射线，能够在邻近肿瘤细胞中引发高频率的双链DNA断裂，从而产生强效的细胞毒效应。对肿瘤微环境（包括骨细胞和破骨细胞）的额外效应，也有助于体内（in vivo）的疗效。
来自Xofigo的α粒子量程小于100微米（不到10个细胞直径），能够最大限度地减少对周围正常组织的伤害。
英文原文：Bayer bids $2.4 billion for Norwegian cancer drug partner Algeta
(Reuters) - Bayer (BAYGn.DE) has offered to pay $2.4 billion for Norway's Algeta (ALGETA.OL), its partner for a new prostate cancer treatment, at a 27 percent premium to the stock's last close, Algeta said on Tuesday.
The deal would boost Bayer's drugs division by giving it outright control over Xofigo, a drug the two have developed jointly since 2009 and started selling in the United States this year.
Investors, however, bet that the German drugs and chemicals group has a fight on its hands and Algeta's Chief Financial Officer said that rival bids could not be ruled out.
Algeta shares jumped by a third in early trade to a record 349.7 Norwegian crowns, well above Bayer's bid of 336 crowns.
The Norwegian company said it was in early discussions that might or might not lead to a transaction. A Bayer spokesman confirmed it had made an offer but said it did not want to provide details at this point.
The decision to go public with the preliminary offer followed a leak in the German media overnight.
Algeta CFO Oystein Soug declined to comment on the level of the bid but told Reuters that his company is under no pressure to do a deal. "I think this company has great prospects on a standalone basis," he said in a telephone interview.
Asked if another company might be in a position to counter Bayer's offer, he said: "I would not exclude that opportunity, but of course that is not my call."
For Bayer, Algeta fits with Chief Executive Marijn Dekkers' strategy of driving growth by building up the pharmaceuticals division, which now overshadows chemicals in importance.
CANCER FOCUS
The push by large pharmaceuticals companies to acquire smaller biotech businesses to gain new drugs that could bolster income is focusing increasingly on cancer therapy.
Amgen (AMGN.O) struck the fifth-largest biotechnology deal in history in August by agreeing to buy Onyx Pharmaceuticals for $10.4 billion, while the Japan's Otsuka (4768.T) agreed in September to buy Astex Pharmaceuticals for $886 million.
Other recent cancer deals have included AstraZeneca (AZN.L) buying privately-owned firms Amplimmune and Spirogen for up to $940 million.
While much of the work in modern cancer medicine is concentrated on the genetic basis of the disease and the role of the immune system in controlling tumor growth, Xofigo is a different type of radiation treatment.
It is a radioactive agent that migrates to parts of the body of prostate cancer patients with abnormal bone growth, thereby minimizing damage to surrounding tissue.
Algeta is also researching other drugs, including an innovative radioactive treatment delivered directly to tumors.
GROWING SALES
Although Xofigo sales reached only $17 million in the third quarter, it received marketing authorization in the European Union this month and analysts expect sales to take off over the next several years.
Annual worldwide sales are expected to reach $940 million by 2018, according to consensus forecasts compiled by Thomson Reuters Pharma, while Algeta says its own round-up of analyst forecasts puts sales well above $1 billion by that time.
Despite the promise of Xofigo, analysts following Bayer said the German group appeared to be offering a high price.
"We do not see potential at Algeta justifying such a high takeover price," DZ Bank analyst Peter Spengler said, adding that further information might yield "some hidden value".
Analysts following Algeta, however, said the bid looked on the low side, given that large drugmakers have often paid a 50-60 percent premium to acquire biotech companies.
Under the current deal between the companies, Bayer is responsible for developing the drug, applying for health authority approvals and commercializing. Bayer and Algeta share profits equally in the United States and Bayer pays royalties to Algeta on sales elsewhere.
Algeta shares have soared this year on the early success of the drug and the offer price is 125 percent above the stock's level 12 months ago.
One dose of Xofigo, used for castration-resistant prostate cancer, costs $11,500 dollars. Full treatment requires six doses.
Before the bid, Algeta was trading at close to 20 times its expected 2015 earnings.($1 = 6.1345 Norwegian krones)(Fixes spelling of prostate in first paragraph)