Business News and Information

Smith & Nephew (SNN), the British maker of orthopedic products, is in the early stages of talks about acquiring U.S. rival Biomet (BMET), the nation's largest manufacturer of artificial hips, kneew and other orthopedic devices, for more than $9 million, according to this NYTimes.com article.

Like the belle at the ball, Biomet has other suitors such as Zimmer Holdings Inc. (ZMH), DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ); and Stryker Corp. (SYK) but they hesitate to participate in the auction because of potential antitrust concerns.

One cloud hanging over Biomet is a Department of Justice investigation that started in June over possible criminal violations of antitrust regulations in the manufacturing and sale of orthopedic implant devices among the top companies in the industry.