March 12, 2009
Willkie represents Merrill Lynch & Co., financial advisor to Gilead, in the transaction.
On March 12, biotechnology company Gilead Sciences Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire CV Therapeutics Inc. for approximately $1.4 billion in cash. CV Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in cardiovascular treatments, was facing a hostile takeover bid by Japan's Astellas Pharma Inc. Willkie represented Merrill Lynch & Co., financial advisor to Gilead, in the transaction. The deal was handled by partners Steven Seidman and Laura Delanoy and associates Curtis Hogan and Keith Grannis.