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UPDATE 1-Daiichi open offer for Ranbaxy delayed

Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:35am EDT

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(Adds Ranbaxy comment, shares)

MUMBAI, July 31 (Reuters) - Japanese drug maker Daiichi Sankyo Co (4568.T) is yet to receive Indian regulatory approval for an open offer for Ranbaxy Laboratories (RANB.BO), and so will not launch it on Aug. 8 as previously planned.

Daiichi, which was to launch the offer for 20 percent of Ranbaxy, will announce a "revised schedule of activities" after it receives approval from the markets regulator, the offer's manager ICICI Securities said in a newspaper advertisement.

Daiichi agreed in June to acquire 34.8 percent from Ranbaxy's founding family and was required to make an open offer for a further 20 percent at 737 rupees per share. If the offer is fully subscribed, Daiichi's stake will rise to 58.09 percent.

The offer was scheduled to close on Aug 27.

"The delay in the open offer is procedural in nature," a Ranbaxy spokesman said in a statement.

"The deal is on track ... there is no change in the terms and conditions of the deal," he said, adding the revised date of the open offer would be announced soon.

The two companies have said the deal was "binding and final".

Shares in Ranbaxy, India's leading drug maker by sales, were down 0.6 percent at 489.70 rupees in a slightly weak market.

Ranbaxy shares had fallen this month after uncertainty over a U.S. investigation into allegations the company had introduced adulterated and misbranded drugs. ($1=42.5 rupees) (Reporting by Rina Chandran; Editing by John Mair)



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