Royalty Pharma Announces Firm Offer to Acquire Elan

NEW YORK, April 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Echo Pharma Acquisition Limited ("Royalty Pharma") today announced, pursuant to Rule 2.5 of the Irish Takeover Rules (the "Announcement"), the terms of a firm, all cash offer (the "Offer") for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Elan Corporation, plc ("Elan") (NYSE: ELN).  Subject to certain conditions as set forth in the Announcement, Royalty Pharma is offering the "Offer Price" for each outstanding share and ADS of Elan (each, an "Elan Share"):

• US$12.00, if the strike price for Elan's previously announced Dutch Auction (the "Dutch Auction Strike Price") is US$11.75 or US$12.00;
• US$11.50 if the Dutch Auction Strike Price is US$11.50;
• US$11.25 if the Dutch Auction Strike Price is US$11.25; and
• US$11.00 per Elan Share if (1) the Dutch Auction Strike Price is equal to or greater than US$12.25 and less than or equal to US$13.00, or (2) upon the occurrence of certain other events as set forth in the Announcement.

If Elan confirms its net cash position on the terms set forth in the Announcement, the Offer Price will be paid in cash.  However, if Elan fails to do so, the initial cash component will be US$1.00 less and holders of Elan Shares will be issued a right to receive up to US$1.00 in cash based on Elan's net cash position.  The terms and conditions of the Offer are set forth in detail in the Announcement.  

Commenting on the Offer, Pablo Legorreta, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Royalty Pharma said: "This announcement demonstrates our commitment to providing a full and fair offer to Elan's shareholders.  We believe that Elan's shareholders will welcome this fully financed cash Offer.

"Elan today consists of cash and a royalty on Tysabri.  Royalty Pharma has over 15 years of experience valuing royalties on pharmaceutical products.  Based on our analysis of Elan's Tysabri royalty and the implied valuation of Elan's economics in Tysabri reflected in Elan's recent transaction with Biogen, we believe that our Offer represents a full and fair value for Elan.  We remain hopeful that the Board of Elan will consider our Offer and recommend it to its shareholders.  In order to obtain the full amount of our Offer in cash in the shortest time frame, Elan's shareholders should encourage Elan's board to engage immediately with Royalty Pharma."

The Offer will be financed through a combination of existing resources available to Royalty Pharma and new credit facilities arranged by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and J.P. Morgan Securities.

J.P. Morgan, BofA Merrill Lynch and Groton Partners are acting as financial advisors to Royalty Pharma. The Announcement and further information relating to the Offer, including all announcements issued by or on behalf of Royalty Pharma, is available at http://www.royaltypharma.com/.

About Royalty Pharma

RP Management is the investment manager to entities investingin royalty interests in marketed and late stage biopharmaceutical products, with a portfolio of royalty interests in 38 approved and marketed products (including Abbott's Humira®, Johnson and Johnson's Remicade®, Merck's Januvia®, Gilead's Atripla®, Truvada®, and Emtriva®, Pfizer's Lyrica®, Amgen's Neupogen® and Neulasta®, and Genentech's Rituxan®) and two products pending approval. Royalty Pharma's product portfolio is well-diversified across biopharmaceutical products and treatment areas and consists of stable and long-dated assets and includes royalties on 8 of the top 20 selling pharmaceutical and biotech drugs by expected worldwide 2016 sales[1], and 9 products with over US$1 billion in annual sales.  These entities have a longer than fifteen year history of providing value to holders of royalty interests, including a US$400 million purchase of 80% of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Neupogen®/ Neulasta® royalty, a US$525 million joint acquisition with Gilead Sciences of Emory University's emtricitabine royalty interest, a US$650 million purchase of New York University's Remicade® royalty, a US$700 million acquisition of AstraZeneca's Humira® royalty, a US$700 million purchase of a portion of Northwestern University's Lyrica® royalty, a US$609 million acquisition of Astellas Pharma's patent estate and associated royalty stream relating to the use of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors for the treatment of type 2 diabetes including Januvia® and Janumet®, and most recently a US$761 million purchase of a portion of an interest in Biogen's recently approved Tecfidera (formerly BG-12) for the treatment of multiple sclerosis held by the former shareholders of Fumapharm AG.

[1] Based on Evaluate Pharma estimates for 2016.

FURTHER INFORMATION

This announcement is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, tender, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to this announcement or otherwise.

The distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions other than Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States may be affected or restricted by the laws of relevant jurisdictions. Any failure to comply with any such restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such said jurisdiction. Therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States or Elan Stockholders who are not resident in Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States will need to inform themselves about, and observe any applicable requirements.

Additional Notice to US Investors

This document does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. This document relates to a potential business combination transaction with Elan proposed by Royalty Pharma and is not a substitute for any tender offer statement or any other document in the event that Royalty Pharma files such a document with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in connection with the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ ANY SUCH DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Any such documents will be available free of charge through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to the persons listed above.

Responsibility Statements

The directors of Royalty Pharma accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement, save that the only responsibility accepted by the directors of Royalty Pharma in respect of the information in this announcement relating to Elan, the Elan Group, the Board of Elan and the persons connected with them, which has been compiled from published sources, has been to ensure that such information has been correctly and fairly reproduced or presented (and no steps have been taken by the directors of Royalty Pharma to verify this information). To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors of Royalty Pharma (having taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained in this announcement for which they accept responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

The managing member of RP Management accepts responsibility for the information contained in this announcement, save that the only responsibility accepted by the managing member of RP Management in respect of the information in this announcement relating to Elan, the Elan Group, the Board of Elan and the persons connected with them, which has been compiled from published sources, has been to ensure that such information has been correctly and fairly reproduced or presented (and no steps have been taken by the managing member of RP Management to verify this information). To the best of the knowledge and belief of the managing member of RP Management (having taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained in this announcement for which he accepts responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

J.P. Morgan, together with its affiliate J.P. Morgan Cazenove (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom), is acting exclusively for Royalty Pharma and RP Management and for no one else in connection with the matters described in this announcement and is not, and will not be, responsible to anyone other than Royalty Pharma and RP Management for providing the protections afforded to clients of J.P. Morgan or its affiliates, or for providing advice in connection with the matters described in this announcement.

Merrill Lynch International ("BofA Merrill Lynch"), a subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation, is acting exclusively for Royalty Pharma and RP Management in connection with the Offer and for no one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than Royalty Pharma and RP Management for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Offer.

Rule 8 - Dealing Disclosure Requirements

Under the provisions of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules, if any person is, or becomes, "interested" (directly or indirectly) in one per cent. or more of any class of "relevant securities" of Elan, all "dealings" in any "relevant securities" of Elan (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such "relevant securities") must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3.30 pm (Dublin time) on the "business day" following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the date on which the Offer becomes effective, lapses or is otherwise withdrawn or on which the Offer Period otherwise ends. If two or more persons co-operate on the basis of any agreement, either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an "interest" in "relevant securities" of Elan, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules.

Under the provisions of Rule 8.1 of the Irish Takeover Rules, all "dealings" in "relevant securities" of Elan by Elan or Royalty Pharma, or by any of their respective "associates" must also be disclosed by no later than 12 noon (Dublin time) on the "business day" following the date of the relevant transaction.

A disclosure table, giving details of the companies in whose "relevant securities" "dealings" should be disclosed can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie.

"Interests in securities" arise, in summary, when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an "interest" by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities.

Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website.

If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a "dealing" under Rule 8, please consult the Irish Takeover Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Irish Takeover Panel on telephone number +353 (0)1 678 9020; fax number +353 (0)1 678 9289.

No Profit Forecast / Asset Valuations

No statement in this announcement constitutes a profit forecast for any period, nor should any statement be interpreted to mean that earnings or earnings per share will necessarily be greater or lesser than those for the relevant preceding financial periods for either Royalty Pharma or Elan as appropriate. No statement in this announcement constitutes an asset valuation.

SOURCE Royalty Pharma