Talecris Biotherapeutics, the blood plasma products maker that Cerberus Capital filed to take public last year, may instead be sold, according to people familiar with the situation.

Cerberus and partner Ampersand Ventures bought Talecris, the former global blood plasma business of Bayer of Germany, in 2005 for $303.5m. Last July, Talecris filed plans for an initial public offering through which it expected to raise as much as $1bn. But with the market still cool for IPOs, and Cerberus looking to cash in on successful investments as it struggles with General Motors’ finance arm and others, it has been weighing a sale of Talecris.