Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : Sepracor-Looks very promising -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: M. Ramle who wrote (2733)	5/12/1999 5:25:00 PM
From: quidditch	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10280

Thread: Hope we don't look back at this one day and see sown the seed of Sepracor's swan song as an independent. Recall, Mazen, what I had posted to you regarding J&J's history with the "little" guys. Regards. Liacos_samui Wednesday May 12, 3:56 pm Eastern Time NEW YORK, May 12 (Reuters) - Shares of biotechnology company Centocor Inc. (CNTO - news) tumbled 13 percent in late trade Wednesday after a report on CNBC said possible merger talks with health care powerhouse Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - news) were broken off. Both companies declined to comment on the report or on rumors that have circulated around the investment community that Centocor was looking for a merger partner. The talk of a possible merger had helped push Centacor's volatile stock back toward its 52-week high in recent weeks. In late trade, Centocor stock was down $5.75 at $40.75 on the Nasdaq stock market, where it was one of the biggest losers, while J&J stock rose $1.69 at $94.69 on the New York Stock Exchange. ''Our policy is not to comment on rumors and speculation and I can't comment on that report,'' Jason Rubin, a spokesman for Centocor, based in Malvern, Pa., told Reuters. ''We are not commenting on these sorts of reports,'' said Jeffrey Lebaw, spokesman for New Brunswick, N.J.-based Johnson & Johnson, maker of Band-Aids and Tylenol in addition to a variety of prescription drugs Previously, analysts have said that the transaction would be a good strategic fit, but warned that Centocor's marketing pact with another major pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY - news), for Centocor's anti-blood-clot agent ReoPro could sabotage the deal. Copyright © 1999 Reuters Limited