PARIS (Reuters) - Evotec (DE:EVTG) is in exclusive talks to acquire French drugs company Sanofi's (PA:SASY) southern French research site in Toulouse, southern France, the German biotech's CEO told Reuters.
In May 2013, Sanofi had agreed to keep the site until 2018 because of French government worries about the loss of local jobs.
But, according to a union source, Sanofi managers met labour representatives on Tuesday to present the planned sale of the site, which currently employs 211 workers.
Lanthaler confirmed the plan and told Reuters over the phone that the Toulouse centre, located in a campus of labs and institutes specialised in oncology, would be a great asset to Evotec, which specialises in cancer, neuroscience and diabetes.
"It's not only the workers there, it's a fantastic facility, it's a fantastic site and a perfect environment," Lanthaler said, adding that Evotec "would be a very good home" for Sanofi's workers.
(Reporting by Natalie Huet and Noelle Mennella; Editing by Andrew Callus)