The unsolicited cash bid is a move to create a bigger specialty drugmaker and expand a nascent effor to develop meds for treating pain. King, you may recall, suffered a huge setback last year when a federal court invalidated its compound patent on Altace, which generated about $700 million annually in US sales.

The offer is $33 per share amounts to a 37 percent premium over the $24.04 closing price of Alpharma’s common stock yesterday. King actually first made the offer to Alpharma in a letter on Aug. 4 and said the offering represents a 49 percent premium, based on the share price that day, the Associated Press notes. The deal was only publicly disclosed today.

“We believe this compelling combination would create a strong platform for sustainable long-term growth to better address the changing health care industry and provide meaningful, cost-effective medicines that improve the quality of life for patients,” Brian Markison, King’s ceo, says in a statement.

Below is the text of the letter that was sent on August 22, 2008 to Alpharma’s ceo, Dean Mitchell, and its Board of Directors:

Mr. Dean J. Mitchell
President and Chief Executive Officer
Alpharma Inc.
440 Route 22 East
Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Dear Mr. Mitchell:

As conveyed to you in conversations beginning in July and again in our letter dated August 4, 2008, the Board of Directors and management of King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“King”) believe that a combination of King and Alpharma Inc. (“Alpharma”) presents an exciting opportunity to create significant value for our respective stockholders. The complementary aspects of our companies’ products, pipelines, customers and capabilities would create greater scale and improved efficiencies, allowing the combined entity to compete more effectively in the future. We are disappointed that you have declined our proposal.

As previously stated, King is willing to pursue the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Alpharma common stock for $33.00 per share in cash. This price represents a 37% premium over the closing price of Alpharma common stock on August 21, 2008, the last trading day prior to public disclosure of King’s proposal, a 49% premium over the closing price of Alpharma common stock on August 4, 2008, the date of King’s initial written offer to Alpharma, and a premium in excess of approximately 38% over Alpharma’s average closing price during the one, three and twelve-month periods ended August 21, 2008. We are convinced that our proposal provides a unique opportunity for Alpharma’s stockholders to realize full and immediate value. Our proposal is not conditioned on financing.

Our Board has authorized this proposal and we are ready to move forward expeditiously. As mentioned to you previously, we have conducted due diligence relating to Alpharma based on publicly available information and we have retained Credit Suisse and Wachovia Securities as our financial advisors and Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP as our legal advisor. Our proposal is conditioned upon, among other things, the negotiation and execution of mutually acceptable definitive transaction documents containing provisions customary for transactions of this type, including the receipt of any required regulatory and third party approvals and consents.

We remain ready to meet with you and your representatives at your earliest convenience to discuss our proposal in detail and conduct confirmatory due diligence, to negotiate definitive transaction documents and to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals.

We hope that you and your Board of Directors will reconsider this proposal and view it as we do – an excellent opportunity for the stockholders of Alpharma to realize full value for their shares to an extent not likely to be available to them in the marketplace. We are prepared to discuss all aspects of our proposal with you, including structure and economics. We have great respect for your organization and would expect to combine the strengths and competencies of Alpharma’s employees into our company.

We continue to prefer to work together with you and your Board to complete a negotiated transaction, and we are prepared to commit all necessary resources to do so. If we are unable to negotiate a transaction, we are prepared to take this offer directly to your stockholders.

We trust that you and your Board of Directors will give this proposal serious consideration. We would appreciate your prompt reply to our proposal.

We look forward to your prompt and favorable response.

Very truly yours,

Brian A. Markison
Chairman of the Board,
President and Chief Executive Officer

cc: To the attention of Alpharma Inc.’s Board of Directors
Mr. Peter G. Tombros, Chairman of the Board
Mr. Finn-Berg Jacobsen, Director
Mr. Peter Ladell, Director
Mr. Ramon Perez, Director
Mr. David U’Prichard, Director