(Reuters) - Allergan Inc shareholder Paulson & Co is urging the Botox maker to merge with specialty pharmaceutical company Shire Plc as a potential alternative to a deal with hostile bidder Valeant Pharmaceuticals , according to two people familiar with the matter.
The hedge fund, which is ALLERGAN (AGN.NY)s third largest shareholder, told Allergan CEO David Pyott that it would support a deal with SHIRE (SHP.LO) the sources said. The deal would not be structured as a so-called tax inversion, the people said. It could not be learned whether Allergan would pursue such a deal.
Paulson?s move comes as AbbVie?s
Allergan and Paulson declined to comment.
(Reporting by Olivia Oran in New York; additional reporting by Nadia Damouni and Jessica Toonkel; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
