The Versailles Economic Court has postponed until November 25 the examination of the application for compulsory liquidation of Carmat, a French manufacturer of an artificial heart, thus leaving time for other potential takeover offers to come forward, the company's CEO announced to AFP on Tuesday.
This new postponement was decided because "a new call for tenders will be launched", with "the hope of having a concrete offer submitted by this date", specified this manager, Stéphane Piat.
"It was considered at one point that liquidation would be declared today. This is not the case," Carmat chairman Pierre Bastid confirmed to AFP after the hearing.
"I have convinced the court that there are good reasons not to declare liquidation today, but that does not mean that it is a done deal," he stressed, announcing that he would put forward "a new takeover proposal" alongside other investors.
The businessman, a shareholder in Carmat with approximately 17%, had already submitted an initial offer at the end of July to take over the company, which has been in receivership since July 1.
At a first hearing on August 19, the court granted him an additional period to finalize it.
However, the offer – the only one submitted so far – was deemed invalid at the end of September, as Mr. Bastid had not managed to raise the funds in time to meet the commitments of his recovery plan.
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