Biogen squares off against Icahn in board battle

The war [1] between Biogen Idec and Wall Street raider Carl Icahn is heating up. The Boston-based biotech has rejected Icahn's nominees for the board of directors and is putting up a slate of its own candidates. And a spokesperson says it all comes down to Icahn's tunnel vision on selling the company.

"In the end," she tells the Wall Street Journal, "the board decided that Mr. Icahn's slate is pledged to a single-minded agenda to sell the company. Such a singular focus represents a risk to driving future value that would not be in the interest of all shareholders."

Last fall Biogen Idec put itself up on the auction block [2], only to step back down after failing to get an offer acceptable to the CEO and the board. Icahn isn't having any of that, though. He's already filed suit over the failed sale and has been hammering Biogen Idec to get back on the sales block.

- read the article [3] in the Wall Street Journal

Related Articles:
Icahn aims for Biogen control. Icahn report [1]
Biogen CEO: Pharma too wimpy to deal. Biogen report [4]
Biogen shares deflate as it gives up on sale. Biogen report [5]
What's Biogen Idec really worth to Big Pharma? Biogen report [6]
Biogen Idec in play after Icahn makes his move. Biogen report [2]