** Shares in Genmab GMAB.CO fall around 4% after the Danish pharmaceutical company said it has agreed to buy Merus 2GH.F, MRUS.O for $8.0 billion in cash
** Genmab will pay $97 per share for Merus, the companies said, a 41% premium over Friday's closing price in New York trade
** The proposed acquisition aligns with Genmab's long‑term strategy and could accelerate its path to global biotech leadership, the group said in the statement
** "As these bispecific developers already share their research and development facilities under one roof, we see strong synergy in this acquisition," Kempen analysts write in a note
(Reporting by Agnieszka Olenska)
((Agnieszka.Olenska@thomsonreuters.com;))