Endo International, the Dublin-based maker of pain drugs like Opana and Percocet, has agreed to buy Par Pharmaceuticals for $8.05bn (€7.09bn) in cash and stock as part of a plan to ignite sales growth and pursue more acquisitions.

US drugmaker AbbVie has pulled the plug on its plan to buy Dublin-based Shire, recommending shareholders vote against the planned $55bn (€42.96bn) takeover after new US tax rules.

Allergan is not in active talks to acquire Salix Pharmaceuticals, people with knowledge of the matter said, though the drugmakers have discussed a deal.

Salix Pharmaceuticals has agreed to buy the patents to some drugs for gastrointestinal diseases from Cosmo Pharmaceuticals for about $2.7bn (€1.98bn) in stock in a deal that will allow the US company to move to Ireland and lower its tax bill.