Company officials confirmed Thursday a Wall Street Journal report that it was in early talks to acquire Ireland’s Allergan PLC, a $100 billion-plus pursuit that thrusts Pfizer, the maker of Advil and Viagra, into the rancorous debate over corporate taxes. ... A possible deal between drug giants , Ireland 's botox - making Allergan and Roche would easily be the largest merger or acquisition of the year , with a combined market capitalisation of around $ 333.3bn , however it could ignite political controversy if it is structured as a corporate inversion , a tax maneuvure whereby a company strategically acquires a foreign entity and then legally changes its headquarters to the target 's foreign base to save on its tax bill in the US . S&P CEO , Jeffrey Loo , says this merger " fits nicely for a tax inversion deal . Clearly that 's a goal of theirs " , citing Pfizer 's CEO , Ian Smith 's recent attack on the US tax code . Financial indications of the deal have not been confirmed but one possibility is that Pfizer could split into two companies after completing the acquisition .
A possible deal between drug giants , Ireland 's botox - making Allergan and Roche would easily be the largest merger or acquisition of the year , with a combined market capitalisation of around $ 333.3bn , however it could ignite political controversy if it is structured as a corporate inversion , a tax maneuvure whereby a company strategically acquires a foreign entity and then legally changes its headquarters to the target 's foreign base to save on its tax bill in the US . S&P CEO , Jeffrey Loo , says this merger " fits nicely for a tax inversion deal . Clearly that 's a goal of theirs " , citing Pfizer 's CEO , Ian Smith 's recent attack on the US tax code . Financial indications of the deal have not been confirmed but one possibility is that Pfizer could split into two companies after completing the acquisition .