Wachovia initiates coverage on MGI Pharma (Nasdaq: MOGN) with a Market Perform rating and a $31 to $37 valuation range.
Eisai to Acquire MGI PHARMA for $41 Per Share in an All Cash Transaction
Monday December 10, 2:55 am ET
TOKYO & BLOOMINGTON, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eisai Co., Ltd. (TSE: 4523.JP - News) (“Eisai”), a research-based human health care (hhc) company that focuses on neurology, gastrointestinal disorders, oncology and critical care, and MGI PHARMA, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOGN - News) (“MGI PHARMA”), an oncology and acute care focused biopharmaceutical company, today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Eisai would acquire all of the outstanding shares of MGI PHARMA for US$41.00 per share in an all cash transaction, for a total consideration of approximately $3.9 billion.
The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the MGI PHARMA Board of Directors. The acquisition is expected to occur by means of a tender offer followed by a cash merger, is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2008.
Eisai expects MGI PHARMA’s marketed and pipeline products in oncology and acute care, as well as its R&D and commercial capabilities, including field sales specialists, together with Eisai’s existing oncology products, global infrastructure and R&D capabilities, will create a base for continued sales growth, pipeline enhancement and the opportunity for synergies. Eisai expects that this transaction will enable it to grow further in the U.S. market and strengthen its already-focused oncology business platform. Following the completion of the transaction, Eisai anticipates that the transaction will be accretive to its cash EPS (excluding goodwill amortization) in fiscal year 2008 and GAAP EPS in fiscal 2009.
"The Board of Directors of MGI PHARMA, working with our legal and financial advisors, has been reviewing strategic alternatives for the company for the past several months," said Mr. Lonnie Moulder, President and CEO of MGI PHARMA. "During that time, we have had the opportunity to share the MGI PHARMA vision and business opportunity with many of the leading companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. This transaction represents the successful conclusion of that process. Our Board of Directors and the management team are extremely pleased to announce this transaction and the opportunity to continue to bring important therapies to patients."
Mr. Haruo Naito, President and CEO of Eisai, said, “Eisai has enormous respect for MGI PHARMA’s products, pipeline and people, and we look forward to working with their highly skilled team to address the unmet medical needs of patients throughout the world. Strategically, we expect this transaction to allow Eisai to significantly strengthen its oncology business and increase the likelihood of achieving our current strategic plan targets and our future revenue and earnings growth.”
Under Eisai’s “Dramatic Leap Plan” (DLP), its fifth midterm strategic plan which spans from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2012, Eisai has continued to achieve steady growth in all regions, including Japan, the United States, Europe and Asia, with a special focus on integrative oncology, where tremendous unmet medical needs exist. Eisai has strengthened its oncology research and development and marketing infrastructure in the United States through the October 2006 acquisition of four oncology products and specialists’ know-how from Ligand Pharmaceuticals and the April 2007 acquisition of Morphotek, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of protein and antibody gene evolution technology. In addition, Eisai is building a new oncology facility for manufacturing and formulation R&D at its North Carolina site.
The Transaction
The acquisition is structured as an all cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of MGI PHARMA common stock followed by a merger in which each remaining share of MGI PHARMA would be converted into the same US$41.00 cash per share price paid in the tender offer, except for shares held by stockholders who exercise appraisal rights. The acquisition is subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, including the tender of a majority of the outstanding MGI PHARMA shares on a fully-diluted basis and the expiration or earlier termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period and other regulatory approvals. The tender offer will be subject to the U.S. securities laws and applicable U.S. state laws.
To effect the transaction, Eisai has established an acquisition subsidiary, Jaguar Acquisition Corp., which is wholly-owned by Eisai Corporation of North America (Woodcliff Lake, NJ). Subsequent to the completion of the tender offer, Jaguar Acquisition Corp. will be merged into MGI PHARMA and the combined entity will then become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eisai Corporation of North America.
Eisai intends to finance the acquisition through existing internal financial resources, as well as bank loan financing, and has secured commitment for the debt required to consummate the transaction.
The acquisition price represents a premium of approximately 38.7% to MGI PHARMA’s closing share price of $29.55 on November 28, 2007, the last business day prior to MGI PHARMA’s announcement that it was exploring strategic alternatives.
The acquisition will be effected pursuant to a merger agreement. The merger agreement contains certain termination rights for each of MGI PHARMA and Eisai and further provides that, upon termination of the merger agreement under specified circumstances, MGI PHARMA may be required to pay Eisai a termination fee of $129 million.
JPMorgan acted as exclusive financial advisor to Eisai, and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is acting as legal counsel to Eisai. Lehman Brothers, Inc. acted as exclusive financial advisor to MGI PHARMA in its review of strategic alternatives, and Hogan & Hartson LLP is acting as legal counsel to MGI PHARMA. |
