KKR's investment vehicle Bidco said on Friday it has held discussions with Assura's board to lobby for its deal.

U.S.-based private equity firm KKR (KKR.N) and PHP had been locked in a months-long battle for Assura before the British company's board backed PHP's higher bid in June.

The Houston Chronicle each year publishes the Chronicle 100, a ranking of the top public companies in the region as measured by their performance rather than size.