(Bloomberg) -- Australian biotech company CSL Ltd. is in talks with Vifor Pharma AG over an acquisition of the Swiss-based drug maker, according to people familiar with the matter.

CSL is working on financing a possible takeover of Vifor, which has a market value of 8 billion Swiss francs ($8.6 billion), the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information.

Vifor shares rose as much as 18.35% in Zurich on Thursday, an intraday record, following earlier reports about a deal in the Australian press. 

Deliberations are ongoing and there’s no certainty they’ll result in a transaction, according to the people. Representatives for CSL and Vifor declined to comment.

A deal would add to $528 billion of transactions in the global health-care sector this year, data compiled by Bloomberg show. That’s up 75% on the same period in 2020 and already an annual record, the data show.

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