Alliance Boots faces second takeover bid

Alliance Boots is the subject of a takeover bid by a second private equity group it emerged as Optician went to press.

As reported in Optician, (News, March 16), the company's board had rejected a £9.7bn takeover bid from its deputy chairman Stefano Pessina and private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. During an emergency meeting the directors of Alliance Boots had said that they would not be putting the offer to shareholders because the offer did not represent the full value of the company.

According to published reports this week there is potential new takeover bid being explored by UK private equity group Terra Firma who are looking at making a £10bn offer. Both parties declined to comment on this development, as Optician went to press.