The Facet Biotech Buyout Saga (FACT, BIIB, ABT, PDLI)

Facet Biotech Corporation (NASDAQ: FACT) is a buyout saga that seemed as though it would never end in 2009.  The company is now finally being acquired, but not by Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB).  Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) announced last night that it entered into a definitive agreement for $27.00 per share in a cash buyout.  The deal is valued at $722 million, but that includes about $272 million in cash and equivalents.

The net cost will be about $450 million. In late-2009, Facet turned down a second unsolicited offer from Biogen Idec of $17.50 a share after having rejected a lower offer before that.

Facet has discovery and development partnerships with Biogen Idec for MS, and it also has partnerships with PDL BioPharma (NASDAQ: PDLI) and Roche.

Facet shares are up 66% at $26.96 this morning after last night’s deal.  Its prior 52-week trading range was $5.86 to $18.35.

JON C. OGG

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