Mergers and acquisitions

The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 0930 GMT on Thursday:

** Roche <ROG.S> has agreed to buy U.S. biotech firm 89bio <ETNB.O> for up to $3.5 billion, joining a race to offer new liver disease treatments that complement an intense push in the area of weight-loss drugs.

** Private equity firms Blackstone <BX.N> and TPG <TPG.O> revived their interest in acquiring medical diagnostics company Hologic <HOLX.O> in what could be one of the largest healthcare take-private deals this year, a person close to the transaction said on Wednesday.