Paris: Sanofi has agreed to buy Belgian biotech company Ablynx for 3.9 billion euros ($4.8 billion), the companies said on Monday, marking the French drug maker's second major takeover deal this month following its acquisition of Bioverativ.
The companies said Sanofi would pay 45 euros per share in cash for Ablynx, a premium of 21.2 percent over the Belgian firm's closing stock price on Friday. The deal comes after Ablynx rejected a lower offer from Denmark's Novo Nordisk .
"With Ablynx, we continue to advance the strategic transformation of our research and development, expanding our late-stage pipeline and strengthening our platform for growth in rare blood disorders," Sanofi Chief Executive Officer Olivier Brandicourt in the companies' joint statement.