Roche to buy U.S. biotech firm InterMune for $8.3B

Roche Holding AG has agreed to buy U.S. biotech company InterMune Inc. for $8.3 billion in cash, helping the world's leading maker of cancer drugs expand into the treatment of rare or incurable diseases.

Swiss drugmaker Roche is paying $74 per share, representing a premium of 38 percent to the Aug. 22 closing price.

According to Reuters, the InterMune deal brings Roche a promising new drug, pirfenidone, for treating a progressive and ultimately fatal scarring condition of the lungs.

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