Tokyo: Japan's No.3 drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo said on Monday it would again delay its open offer for a 20 percent stake in India's Zenotech Laboratories after an Indian court asked it to postpone the launch.
The Securities Appellate Tribunal requested Daiichi Sankyo put the offer on hold because of a petition by one or more minority shareholders of Zenotech about the price of the offer, which was originally scheduled to start on Tuesday, Daiichi Sankyo spokesman Yasunori Sasaki said.
The appeal court will hold a hearing on September 4 on the petition, after which Daiichi Sankyo will make a decision on the open offer, he said, without elaborating on possible options.
Daiichi Sankyo believes its offer to buy each Zenotech shares for Rs 113.62 is fair, Sasaki said.
Daiichi Sankyo originally said in January it would launch the offer in March. However, the offer has already been delayed twice, first by a prolonged review by the regulators and later by a high court hearing on the petition.
The high court turned down the petition and reversed an earlier injunction suspending the offer.
India's generic drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories, in which Daiichi Sankyo bought a majority stake last year, has a stake in Zenotech, a smaller generic drug maker.
The purpose of Daiichi Sankyo's tender offer for Zenotech shares is mainly to meet the Indian law which requires Daiichi Sankyo to hold an open offer for Zenotech shares after buying the controlling stake in Ranbaxy, Daiichi Sankyo said earlier.
Meanwhile, Zenotech said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that the next hearing of SAT will take place on September 4, 2009.
The filing said, "The shareholders of the Target Company (Zenotech) are further requested not to tender any shares and no shares, either in demat or physical mode, will be accepted until further announcement of the revised schedule of activities."
Shares of Zenotech were trading at Rs 105, down 0.28 percent, in afternoon trade on the BSE.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, August 10, 2009, 15:23