In an 11th-hour deal, Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts) proposed in early December to acquire all the outstanding shares of Guidant (Indianapolis) for a combination of cash and stock worth $72 per Guidant share, nearly a $3 billion increase, or 14% over the $63.43 per share that was offered by Johnson & Johnson (J&J; New Brunswick, New Jersey) in a revised deal outlined in mid-November.