Actavis to buy Warner Chilcott in $8.5 billion deal

Generic drugmaker Actavis Inc will buy specialty pharmaceuticals company Warner Chilcott Plc in a stock deal valued at about $8.5 billion.

Warner Chilcott shareholders will receive 0.160 shares of the combined company, or $20.08 per Warner Chilcott share, based on Actavis's closing share price of $125.50 on May 17.

(Reporting by Esha Dey in Bangalore; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)