The French chemical speciality group RHODIA will launch a friendly public tender offering for the American start-up CHIREX (turnover of USD 147 million in 19999) so as to reinforce it presence on the services market for the pharmaceutical industry. RHODIA is proposing USD 545 million for this acquisition, or USD 31.25 per share, of which 35 million represent CHIREX financial debts. A subsidiary of RHODIA-CHIREX will be formed following the operation, whose activities will be dedicated to...