CHINESE bidders are circling a diabetes care business owned by the world’s largest healthcare company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in a deal that could fetch up to US$4 billion, according to a Reuters report yesterday.

The New Jersey-based J&J said in January last year it was evaluating options for its diabetes care companies, specifically LifeScan Inc., Animas Corp., and Calibra Medical Inc. One option was a sale of the business, it said.

Chinese interest in the J&J unit comes as the market for diabetes care in China is expected to grow rapidly. Almost one in three of the world’s diabetes sufferers lives in China, according to World Health Organization estimates.

Among the potential bidders is a consortium being formed by Shenzhen-listed Sinocare Inc., which develops and manufactures blood sugar monitoring systems, and China Jianyin Investment Ltd. (JIC), a unit of sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp. (CIC).

“The evaluation of potential strategic options for LifeScan Inc. and Calibra Medical Inc. is ongoing and we do not have an announcement regarding these businesses at this time,” J&J said in a statement in response to Reuters request for comment.

It is not yet clear if potential Chinese buyers are interested in the whole of J&J’s diabetes care business or one or more of the member companies.

The sale of the diabetes care business has also attracted interest from global private equity players, according to the people with knowledge of the process. But analysts said China could offer a tonic to J&J’s struggling diabetes care unit and a turnaround opportunity for regional investors. (SD-Agencies)