Roche extends Spark offer again as regulatory review drags on

[ZURICH] Roche extended its offer to buy Spark Therapeutics on Monday, this time until Oct 30, as US and British regulators continue to scrutinize the Swiss drugmaker's US$4.3 billion oft-delayed bid to swallow the US gene therapy specialist.

The terms and conditions remain unchanged for the deal, which analysts have said may be hung up on competition concerns over what a combination would mean for the very competitive market for hemophilia A treatments. Roche has declined to comment on what is holding back the US Federal Trade Commission from signing off on the transaction.

REUTERS