(AP) - German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA says it will buy U.S. biotech equipment maker Millipore Corp. for $ 6 billion in cash in a move to expand its presence in the life science sector.
The deal, which Merck values at $ 7.2 billion including assumed debt, ends speculation that has swirled since reports last week said lab instrument maker Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. made a $ 6 billion offer for the Billerica, Mass., company.
Merck says it will pay $ 107 per share in cash - marking a 50 percent premium to Millipore's $ 71.34 closing stock price on Feb. 19, the last trading day before takeover reports surfaced.
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