Sanofi lining up billions for a major buyout

With virtually every Big Pharma company looking to make a major acquisition, the Financial Times reports that Sanofi-Aventis is in talks with bankers to line up enough money for new acquisitions. And analysts weren't shy about identifying potential takeover targets. At the top of the list: Amgen, Biogen Idec and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Lack of money won't be an issue. UBS is estimating that Sanofi-Aventis could raise anywhere from $22 billion to $26 billion. Crucell, the last big independent vaccine maker, is also on the target list. And Sanofi could opt to invest heavily in generics.

All of that is a roundabout way of saying that just about anything is possible. But with Pfizer buying Wyeth, Roche intent to capture Genentech and a string of other pharma companies already digesting big acquisitions, remaining on the sidelines evidently is no longer an option for Sanofi.

- check out the report from the Financial Times