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FILE PHOTO – The logo of the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche is visible in front of the headquarters of Shanghai Roche Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. in Shanghai on May 22, 2014. REUTERS / Aly Song
(Reuters) – The Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche Holding AG is about to enter into an acquisition contract with US biotech company Spark Therapeutics Inc., the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing people close to the case.
The deal for Spark could be announced Monday, if not earlier, at a price of nearly $ 5 billion, but could still fail, the Journal quoted unidentified sources as saying. Spark's market value was just under $ 2 billion at market close on Friday.
The newspaper reported that there was at least one other unidentified bidder for Spark on Friday.
Roche and Spark officials said their companies did not comment on market rumors.
Spark is a gene therapy company with a portfolio of potential products for blindness, hemophilia and neurodegenerative diseases.
Ben Klayman's report to Detroit; Edited by Paul Simao
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