Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc fka ARIA

[micanwait]

Does NVS need ARIA?

Here's a list of NVS 2013 income by drugs..

http://www.novartis.com/investors/financial-results/product-sales.shtml

Note that Glivec is their largest seller, $4.7B (about 15% of total). Their second largest, Diovan at $3.5B was down 20% last year. Gilenya at $1.9B is now being challenged by RCPT. See,
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/10/up-37-can-receptos-compete-with-novartis.aspx
I'm sure they have other challenges as well.

They could buy Ariad for perhaps 20% of one year's income. They could capture Iclusig (preserving their leukemia franchise and add all its additional uses); get a foot in lung cancer with 113 as well as the mystery molecule; plus absorb one of the great oncology labs.

Duh! If NVS is not talking to Berger, Denner et al, their shareholders should be screaming. Imagine how they would look if a BP competitor (that could easily finance multiple trials) swooped in.