Biogen Idec conceded two board seats yesterday to candidates backed by Carl Icahn and opposed by the company’s management. That came just over a week after a group of Amylin shareholders, led by Icahn and Eastbourne Capital Management, had candidates elected two seats on Amylin’s board. In typical fashion, Icahn has pushed for Biogen to consider a break-up or sale to a larger pharmaceutical company, this morning’s WSJ notes . And, as we noted last week, Amylin’s leaders have said Icahn wanted to arrange a sale of that company to Eli Lilly (though Icahn said they distorted

his views). Both Amylin and Biogen meet a few basic criteria that tend to make companies appealing takeover targets: They’re standalone biotech shops with products on the market. Amylin’s share price has fallen sharply over the past year, amid safety worries for its diabetes drug Byetta. And Icahn’s track record is pretty solid; he’s played a key role in pushing for some big biotech deals in recent years, including AstraZeneca’s purchase of MedImmune and ImClone’s sale to Lilly .

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Will Icahn’s Double Biotech Win Augur M&A Action?