VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The billionaire investor Mr. Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management was one of the largest stock holders of Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Ackman has perceptively made his position in Valeant far more important by raising its stake from 5.7% to 9.9% recently. Now, Pershing is the second largest shareholder in Valeant followed by Sequoia Fund led by Ruane, Goldfarb and Cuniff.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Canada has partnered with AstraZeneca for the selling rights of psoriasis drug brodalumab. Amgen Inc. ended its partnership with AstraZeneca due to its worries over the drug's side effects.

Activist hedge fund ValueAct Capital disclosed a 5.1 percent stake in Baker Hughes Inc (BHI.N), the world's No. 3 oilfield services company that has agreed to be bought by bigger rival Halliburton Co (HAL.N) for $35 billion in cash and stock.

Allergan Inc is close to a buyout deal worth up to $65.5 billion by Actavis Plc, one that could end months of pursuit by Canada’s Valeant Pharmaceuticals and William Ackman's hedge fund, Pershing Square Capital Management, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Botox maker Allergan Inc (AGN.N), fighting a hostile takeover bid by Valeant Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRX.TO), said on Monday it was approached about a potential transaction by another party, identified as Actavis Plc (ACT.N) by a source familiar with the situation.

Allergan Inc said on Tuesday that it has scheduled a special shareholders meeting for Dec. 18, when activist investor Bill Ackman, who supports a hostile bid for the company by Valeant Pharmaceuticals Inc, will attempt to oust most of its board.

Investors owning 31 percent of shares of Allergan Inc have asked the company to call a special shareholder meeting, activist shareholder William Ackman said on Friday, giving the hedge fund manager a victory in his fight to acquire the Botox maker.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals and energy sector boost TSX