AstraZeneca confirms it is in talks with Dutch drug company Acerta Pharma.
The pharmaceutical giant, which is a major employer in the Wilmington area, says in a statement, it is "exploring strategic options" with Acerta.
The statement comes in response to media reports that AstraZeneca is in advanced talks to buy Acerta for $5 billion.
The company’s statement added there is “no certainty” that any transaction will happen comment further if and when appropriate.
AstraZeneca turned down a takeover bid by Pfizer last year worth $119 billion.
Any move with Acerta would make AstraZeneca the second big company with a footprint in Delaware to take that route this month.
Last week, DuPont announced it plans to merge with Michigan-based Dow Chemical in a deal worth $130 billion.
As part of that deal, Delaware's flagship chemical company will begin laying off around 10 percent of its workforce by next spring. DuPont employs 7,000 people in Wilmington out of about 55,000 worldwide.
Like DuPont, AstraZeneca’s footprint in Delaware has been shrinking in recent years. About 1,200 jobs were cut or moved from Wilmington in 2013 and the News Journal reports it trimmed another 50 last month. The company also sold the 58-acre south campus of its North American in Fairfax to JPMorgan Chase in May 2014.
