Catalent delays annual report filing

(Reuters) – Catalent said on Friday it failed to file its annual report to regulators on time because it needs more time to complete “certain processes.”

The contract drugmaker was expected to file its report on August 29.

The company is waiting to finalize a $16.5 billion takeover deal signed in February by Novo Holdings, an investment firm that owns a controlling stake in Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk.

Catalent expects the transaction to close by the end of the year.

Catalent is a construction company that specializes in filling and finishing syringes and pens under sterile conditions, including Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster Wegovy.

In May, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission requested more information about the deal after Novo Holdings filed a motion seeking antitrust clearance.

The company on Thursday beat analysts’ estimates for fourth-quarter revenue, driven by its biologics segment, which develops and manufactures cell and gene therapies.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)