Talecris Biotherapeutics flirts with $1B IPO

Biotech IPOs are about as rare as the unicorn these days, but Talecris Biotherapeutics has filed new paperwork indicating that it's interested in raising up to a billion dollars on the public market.

Talecris had originally planned to go public back in 2007, before the market meltdown pushed share prices down. But Talecris, based in Research Triangle Park, put that plan aside when it inked a deal to merge with an Australian company. The merger deal, however, fell through after regulators raised antitrust concerns. Now the Charlotte Observer reports that Talecris has filed two new regulatory submissions with the SEC that indicates that Talecris is back on the IPO trail. But the company, which employs 4,750 workers, is staying mum.

"We're always exploring opportunities," a Talecris spokeswoman told the Observer.

Only 14 companies have filed IPOs this year, down 63 percent from the year before. But some analysts say that window is showing signs of reopening.  

- read the story from the Charlotte Observer