拜耳接近达成140亿美元收购默沙东消费者医疗部门的协议

路透社5月1日报道称，据知情人士透露，拜耳（Bayer）收购默沙东（Merck & Co）消费保健业务的交易已接近完成，该笔交易约在１４０亿美元左右。

此前有消息称，德国制药巨头拜耳集团（Bayer）和全球知名的消费品公司利洁时（Reckitt Benckiser）均在最终竞标者之列，双方之前分别提出了约135亿美元的报价，从众多竞标者中脱颖而出。但利洁时本周三表示，已不再积极洽谈收购交易，使得拜耳成为唯一的竞标者。彭博社周四报道称，拜耳已与默沙东进入独家谈判。

消息称，拜耳和默沙东即将敲定该笔收购交易的最终条款，并可能在接下来几天公布交易。拜耳和默沙东均拒绝置评。

除利洁时外，拜耳还挤掉了其他一些竞争对手，包括包括宝洁（P&G）、勃林格殷格翰（Boehringer Ingelheim）、诺华和赛诺菲（Sanofi）。

拜耳已拥有强劲的消费产品组合，包括止痛药Aleve和制酸药剂Alka-Seltzer，但拜耳仍在寻求交易案来进一步拓展此类业务。2012年，拜耳曾和利洁时竞购希夫营养国际（Schiff Nutrition International），但最后利洁时以13亿美元胜出赢得并购。

在消费保健领域，强生以4%的市场份额位列榜首。拜耳、葛兰素史克、诺华、辉瑞、赛诺菲也占有超过2%的市场。与它们相比，默沙东1%左右的市场份额显得微不足道。在探索消费保健业务发展策略的过程中，默沙东追随着辉瑞的脚步。

 REFILE-Bayer nears deal to buy Merck consumer unit -sources

May 1 (Reuters) - German drugmaker Bayer AG is nearing an agreement to buy Merck & Co Inc's consumer healthcare unit, people familiar with the matter said, in a deal that could value the business at around $14 billion.

Reckitt Benckiser Group, one of the final contenders in the auction, said on Wednesday it was no longer in active talks to buy the Merck business, leaving Bayer in the pole position to win the asset, which is best known for Coppertone sunscreen and Claritin allergy medicine.

Bayer and Merck are hammering out final terms of an agreement and could announce the transaction in the next several days, the people said, asking not to be named because the matter is not public. Representatives for Bayer and Merck declined to comment.

Reuters first reported last week that Bayer and Reckitt had emerged as frontrunners in the auction with each offering roughly $13.5 billion, a price that could come close to $14 billion when the deal is finalized.

Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that Bayer entered exclusive talks with Merck.

Bayer has also edged out other rival bidders in the auction, including Procter & Gamble Co, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis AG and Sanofi SA, people familiar with the matter said. (Reporting by Sophie Sassard in London and Soyoung Kim in New York; Editing by Steve Orlofsky).