LONDON - The drug maker Mylan has had preliminary discussions about a possible takeover of its Swedish rival Meda, according to people familiar with the matter.
The companies have held early talks about a merger, according to the people, who were not authorized to discuss it publicly, although a deal may not happen.
The chairman of Meda, Bert-Ake Eriksson, told the Swedish news agency Direkt on Friday that Mylan had made “preliminary contact†and that Meda would make an announcement later on Friday. He declined to provide further details.
A Meda spokeswoman confirmed that Mr. Eriksson had made the comments.
The Financial Times, citing people familiar with the situation, said that Mylan had hired advisers about a possible merger.
Trading in shares of Meda was halted in Stockholm on Friday. Based on Thursday’s closing price, Meda had a market capitalization of 29.3 billion kronor, or about $4.5 billion.
Meda, based in Solna, Sweden, posted 13.1 billion kronor in sales last year. The specialty pharmaceuticals company employs about 3,000 people in more than 55 countries.
Mylan, based in Canonsburg, Pa., posted revenue of $6.9 billion in 2013. The maker of generic and specialty drugs employs about 20,000 people in 140 countries.
