Depomed has engaged Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher to bolster its PR defense as it fends off a $1.75B hostile bid from Horizon Pharma.

depoHorizon, which is working with Kekst and Company on the PR front, went public with its $29.95-per-share bid on July 7, since revised, sparking Depomed to take defensive measures, including adoption of a poison pill provision. The publicly traded, Ireland-based pharmaceutical company filed suit today to challenge Depomed's takeover defenses.

Horizon chairman, president and CEO Timoth Walbert said his company has sought to engage in good faith talks with Depomed, but deemed the target's response as an "improper" bid by management and its board to "entrench themselves."

Horizon hired MacKenzie Partners to line up proxy votes behind its bid. Geoff Curtis is group VP of corporate comms. for Horizon, while John Thomas leads IR as executive VP.

Newark, Calif.-based Depomed, which focuses on pain and neurology drugs, has said that Horizon's bid "substantially undervalues" the company and stiffs its shareholders. It has also tapped proxy firm Innisfree M&A to shore up support.

Christpher Keenan is VP of IR and corporate comms. for Depomed.

Depomed president and CEO Jim Schoeneck said the company’s board believes Horizon's proposal is “opportunistic” and would merely transfer the future value of Depomed to Horizon “at a price we believe does not represent the value of our assets, business and prospects.”