Cephalon, Inc. and CIMA LABS INC. Sign Definitive Merger Agreement
November 03 2003 - 4:27PM
PR Newswire (US)
Cephalon, Inc. and CIMA LABS INC. Sign Definitive Merger Agreement
Cash Merger for $34 Per CIMA Share; Provides Cephalon with Drug
Delivery Technologies; Will Accelerate Development and Launch of
New Pharmaceutical Products WEST CHESTER, Pa., and EDEN PRAIRIE,
Minn., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cephalon, Inc. and CIMA
LABS INC. announced today that they have signed a definitive merger
agreement under which Cephalon will acquire all the outstanding
common shares of CIMA for $34 per share in cash. The total value of
the transaction is approximately $515 million, or $397 million net
of CIMA's cash and cash equivalents. The agreement was unanimously
approved by the boards of directors of both companies and requires
CIMA stockholder approval as well as customary regulatory
approvals. The merger is expected to close in the first quarter of
2004. CIMA will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Cephalon. The
acquisition of CIMA -- a leader in the field of drug delivery
technology -- will add a growing business to Cephalon, already one
of the fastest growing biopharmaceutical companies. CIMA also
offers Cephalon an opportunity to develop additional proprietary
products using CIMA's innovative oral drug delivery technologies,
including OraVescent (R). CIMA is developing an OraVescent form of
fentanyl, which, if approved, would be a valuable product for the
Cephalon pain care sales force. "Combining CIMA's innovative
delivery technologies together with our clinical development,
regulatory, and sales and marketing experience will create
tremendous new opportunities for Cephalon," said Frank Baldino Jr.,
Chairman and CEO of Cephalon. Baldino said that Cephalon intends to
encourage the growth of CIMA's core business of developing and
manufacturing orally disintegrating tablets and to supplement its
technology portfolio with Cephalon's own drug delivery assets,
which were acquired in other mergers and acquisitions completed in
the past 36 months. Steven B. Ratoff, Chairman and Interim CEO of
CIMA, said: "The merger with Cephalon provides a significant and
immediate return to CIMA shareholders and is in the long-term best
interests of CIMA employees and partners. We look forward to
working with the Cephalon team to expand our leadership in ODT
technology and accelerate the commercialization of our proprietary
OraVescent fentanyl product." Cephalon has approximately 1,400
employees at locations in the United States and Europe, including
corporate headquarters in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and
manufacturing sites in Salt Lake City, Utah, and in France. CIMA
has approximately 275 employees in Eden Prairie and Brooklyn Park,
Minnesota. Once the transaction closes, Baldino said he anticipates
that CIMA and Cephalon could be integrated in a timely and seamless
manner, and that Cephalon expects to maintain both of CIMA's
Minnesota facilities. JP Morgan acted as financial advisor to
Cephalon in this transaction. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. acted
as financial advisor to CIMA. Concurrent with the announcement of
this definitive merger agreement, CIMA notified aaiPharma
(NASDAQ:AAII) that it has terminated its August 5, 2003 merger
agreement with aaiPharma and has paid the applicable break-up fee
to aaiPharma. CIMA will file a proxy statement with the Securities
and Exchange Commission for submission to its stockholders for use
in connection with a special meeting of stockholders that will be
held for the purpose of approving the merger. The proxy statement
will fully describe the terms of the merger agreement and should be
carefully reviewed by CIMA stockholders. Cephalon management will
discuss the transaction with analysts and investors in a previously
announced conference call about the company's third quarter 2003
results beginning at 5 p.m. U.S. EST on Monday, November 3, 2003.
To participate in the conference call, dial 913-981-5517 and refer
to Conference Code Number 775652. Individual investors are
encouraged to log onto the investor relations section of
http://www.cephalon.com/ and click on the webcast link to access
the live call. Cephalon, Inc. Founded in 1987, Cephalon, Inc. is an
international biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery,
development and marketing of innovative products to treat sleep and
neurological disorders, cancer and pain. Cephalon currently employs
approximately 1,400 people in the United States and Europe. U.S.
sites include the company's headquarters in West Chester,
Pennsylvania, and offices and manufacturing facilities in Salt Lake
City, Utah. Cephalon's major European offices are located in
Guildford, England, Martinsried, Germany, and Maisons-Alfort,
France. The company currently markets three proprietary products in
the United States: PROVIGIL(R) (modafinil) Tablets [C-IV],
GABITRIL(R) (tiagabine hydrochloride), and ACTIQ(R) (oral
transmucosal fentanyl citrate) [C-II] and more than 20 products
internationally. Further information about Cephalon and full
prescribing information on its U.S. products is available at
http://www.cephalon.com/ or by calling 1-800-896-5855. CIMA LABS
INC. CIMA develops and manufactures prescription and
over-the-counter products based upon its proprietary, orally
disintegrating drug delivery technologies, OraSolv(R) and
DuraSolv(R). Based on these technologies, an active drug
ingredient, which the company frequently taste-masks, is formulated
into a new, orally disintegrating dosage form that dissolves
quickly in the mouth without chewing or the need for water. CIMA's
business involves a dual operating strategy. The company develops
and manufactures orally disintegrating versions of drugs for
pharmaceutical company partners for whom CIMA currently produces
three branded prescription pharmaceuticals and three
over-the-counter brands. CIMA is also developing proprietary
products utilizing its orally disintegrating technologies, as well
as its new OraVescent(R) enhanced absorption, transmucosal drug
delivery system. Further information about CIMA is available at
http://www.cimalabs.com/. Safe Harbor Statement In addition to
historical facts or statements of current condition, this press
release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements provide each of Cephalon's and CIMA's current
expectations or forecasts of future events. These may include
statements regarding the timing of the closing of the transaction,
the timing and success of integration efforts once the transaction
is complete, its expectations or ability to realize commercial
success with CIMA LABS INC., the impact of this transaction, if
successful, on Cephalon's business, anticipated scientific progress
on its research programs, development of potential pharmaceutical
products, including OraVescent fentanyl, interpretation of clinical
results, prospects for regulatory approval, manufacturing
development and capabilities, market prospects for its products,
sales and earnings guidance, and other statements regarding matters
that are not historical facts. You may identify some of these
forward-looking statements by the use of words in the statements
such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend,"
"plan," "believe" or other words and terms of similar meaning.
Cephalon's performance and financial results could differ
materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements
due to general financial, economic, regulatory and political
conditions affecting the biotechnology and pharmaceutical
industries as well as more specific risks and uncertainties facing
Cephalon such as those set forth in its reports on Form 8-K, 10-Q
and 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Given these risks and uncertainties, any or all of these
forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Therefore,
you should not rely on any such factors or forward-looking
statements. Furthermore, Cephalon does not intend to update
publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.
The U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits
this discussion. Additional Information and Where to Find It CIMA
intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission a proxy
statement and other relevant documents in connection with the
proposed transaction. Investors of CIMA are urged to read the proxy
statement and other relevant materials when they become available
because they will contain important information about CIMA and the
proposed transaction. Investors may obtain a free copy of these
materials (when they are available) and other documents filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission at the SEC's website at
http://www.sec.gov/. A free copy of the proxy statement when it
becomes available may also be obtained from CIMA, 10000 Valley View
Road, Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344. Investors may access copies of
the documents filed with the SEC by CIMA on CIMA's website at
http://www.cimalabs.com/. In addition, copies may be obtained free
of charge at written request to CIMA at 10000 Valley View Road,
Eden Prairie, Minnesota 55344, attention: CFO. CIMA and its
directors, executive officers and certain other members of
management and employees may be deemed to be participants in
soliciting proxies from its stockholders in favor of the proposed
merger. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules
of the SEC, be considered to be participants in the solicitation of
CIMA's stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction is
set forth in CIMA's proxy statement for its 2003 annual meeting,
dated April 14, 2003 and filed with the SEC on April 11, 2003.
Additional information regarding these individuals and any interest
they have in the proposed transaction will be set forth in the
proxy statement when it is filed with the SEC. DATASOURCE:
Cephalon, Inc. CONTACT: Media: Robert W. Grupp, +1-610-738-6402, ,
or Investors: Chip Merritt, +1-610-738-6376, , both of Cephalon; or
James Hawley, CIMA, +1-952-947-8700, Web site:
http://www.cimalabs.com/ Web site: http://www.cephalon.com/ Company
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