Cleary Gottlieb represented GlaxoSmithKline in connection with its two-step cash acquisition of Genelabs Technologies, Inc. The merger agreement was signed on October 29, 2008, the tender offer was launched on November 12, 2008 and the acquisition closed on January 6, 2009.
GlaxoSmithKline is a major global healthcare company engaged in the creation, discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceutical and consumer health-related products. Genelabs is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel compounds for infectious diseases. In addition to a late-stage vaccine candidate for hepatitis E developed in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, Genelabs is advancing multiple compounds designed to selectively inhibit replication of the hepatitis C virus.