If Walgreens Boots Alliance follows through with a sale to private equity, the company might join other healthcare deals under scrutiny for selling out to such investors.

The Deerfield-based pharmacy chain is in talks with Sycamore Partners about a deal that could be done early next year to take it private, the Wall Street Journal reports. Walgreens shares jumped nearly 18% on the news.

Following the report, shares of the pharmacy giant jumped 18%, the largest one-day boost in Walgreens' history.