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It’s official!  Roche has secured more than 96 percent of shares in Genentech Inc, completing its $46.8 billion buyout of the U.S. biotech group. It now holds some 93 percent of outstanding Genentech shares, a further 3 percent are guaranteed to be delivered within the next three business days and it will integrate the U.S. biotech group as soon as possible.

Soon after Roche completed the transaction on Thursday, the company announced that Genentech's common stock would no longer be traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Genentech, founded in 1976, was one of the first and most successful biotechnology companies in the US. After lagging behind rival Amgen for most of the 1990s, Genentech eclipsed Amgen in the early 2000s on the strength of its oncology franchise (Herceptin and Avastin) and its deep drug development pipeline.

Its acquisition by Roche truly signals the end of an era in history of the American biotechnology industry.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Cloning! 

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 As expected, Genentech summarily rejected Roche’s offer to purchase it for $43.7 billion. Genentech executives claim that Roche’s offer is too low and it undervalues the actual worth of the company. Roche offered Genentech about $88 per share for remaining 44% of the outstanding shares of stock that it doesn’t already own. Many Wall Street analysts think that the actual value of Genentech stock is roughly $100 per share. As any business person knows (with or without an MBA), the first offer is usually not the last offered that is tendered in any deal.

Because Roche owns a majority controlling interest in Genentech, it is not clear whether Genentech can avoid actually being purchased by Roche. Genentech executives have publicly stated that earlier agreements between the two companies that guide the sale of Genentech may no longer be in effect and that they will not abide by them.  I suspect that only time (or perhaps the courts) will tell.

Roche has already indicated that if it acquires Genentech, there will likely be job cuts to its 10,700 member workforce (something that Genentech wants to prevent). I suspect that Genentech’s rejection of Roche’s offer is the first in a series designed to maximize shareholder value for Genentech (not to mention the large sums of money that company workers and executives who own stock options will make as a result of a sale).

I predict that Roche will ultimately buy Genentech. The only thing that remains to be determined is how much Roche will have to pay to acquire the biotech giant. Roche cannot afford to let this deal go south—a bright and successful future depends on it!

If I were a Genentech employee, I would be dusting off the old resume right about now.

Until next time….

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!

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