Bergen Brunswig Target Ordered to Provide Papers

Louisiana authorities have ordered an Alabama drug wholesaler that is the target of a takeover attempt by Bergen Brunswig Corp. in Orange to turn over documents related to a merger agreement with a third company, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission document filed Thursday.

Durr-Fillauer Medical Inc. in Montgomery, Ala., said in its SEC filing that the Louisiana attorney general’s office wants the documents to review possible antitrust violations in the takeover proposed by Cardinal Distribution Inc. in Dublin, Ohio.

Cardinal and Durr-Fillauer agreed to a merger early last month, and Bergen Brunswig has since launched a bidding war. On Tuesday, Bergen Brunswig offered $396 million in cash, or $33 a share, for Durr-Fillauer, topping Cardinal’s offer by $2.50 a share.

The Louisiana request came six days after the state joined top law enforcement officials in Florida and Alabama in requesting copies of Bergen Brunswig’s offer.

Executives at Durr-Fillauer and Bergen Brunswig could not be reached for comment late Thursday.