It is approximately twelve months since Johnson & Johnson approached Guidant with a merger proposition worth over US$25 B. However, the agreement into which the two companies entered spelt the beginning of a prolonged period of negotiation, and by mid-December 2005 it seemed likely that J&J would be rejected by Guidant's shareholders in favour of an unsolicited US$25 B offer made by Boston Scientific Corporation. This feature reviews the recent deal making history of the three companies involved in these merger discussions, and the series of events that put Guidant in the unusual position of having to choose between suitors.