Nuclear drug company Curium plans to acquire Lantheus (LHTN.US) for about 7 billion US dollars. The deal may be officially announced recently

The Zhitong Finance App learned that, according to people familiar with the matter, the nuclear drug company Curium is in in-depth negotiations with Lantheus Holdings Inc. (LHTN.US) on the acquisition, and the deal may be officially announced within the next few days.

Under the plan under discussion, Curium, supported by CapVest Partners, plans to pay an advance payment of approximately $102 per share, with an additional contingent value right (CVR) of $12.50 per share. According to this, Lantheus's initial valuation is about 7 billion US dollars, and if CVR is included, the total valuation can reach 8 billion US dollars. CVR is an additional consideration promised to the seller's shareholders in a merger and acquisition transaction, and is paid when specific future milestones are reached.

At the same time, people familiar with the matter warned that a final decision has not yet been made, negotiations may still break down, and the terms of the deal may also be adjusted.

In the New York market on Monday, Lantheus shares closed up 2.1% to 108.03 US dollars, corresponding to a market value of about 7 billion US dollars. Headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts, the market capitalization is comparable.

Curium itself was also valued at around $7 billion last year, when CapVest set up a renewal fund (renewable vehicle) for its nuclear medicine business.

Representatives for Lantheus and Curium declined to comment, and CapVest representatives did not immediately respond to the request.

Reports in May of this year revealed that Lantheus is already evaluating sales options after receiving Curium's acquisition intention.

Lantheus's core revenue source is Pylarify — a radioactive imaging agent used to detect whether prostate cancer has spread far away. Curium also produces radioactive tracers for the diagnosis of tumors and heart, bone, and brain diseases.

The two companies announced in 2023 that they had reached a licensing and distribution agreement in the European market.