Lonza, a leading worldwide supplier of biopharmaceuticals to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, has offered to acquire Catalent, based in Somerset, New Jersey, USA, people familiar with the matter told the news agency Reuters.

Catalent offers technologies that deliver drugs into targeted cells and tissues. The deal would expand the Swiss specialty chemicals and life sciences company's life sciences capabilities, allowing it to produce a wider range of molecules used in active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug delivery.

Catalent and Lonza have so far failed to agree on the price, and there is no certainty that their negotiations will continue, the Reuters sources said. Lonza, which is keen on an acquisition, may decide to pursue other targets, one of the people added.

Thomas Castellano, a spokesman for Catalent, declined to comment on what he said the company views as merger and acquisition rumors. Catalent had $1.83 billion in sales last year, with almost two-thirds coming from its oral technologies unit.

Lonza reported sales of 3.8 billion Swiss francs ($3.9 billion) in 2015. It is organized into two market-focused segments: Pharma&Biotech and Specialty Ingredients.