ZIMMER GIVES EUROPEANS MORE TIME FOR ZIMMER/BIOMET DEAL (Orthopedics This Week)
Unicompartmental Knees and Shoulder Divestitures?
When the Europeans announced their investigation in October, Wells Fargo analyst, Larry Biegelsen said that, according to his consultant, the review is still likely to be resolved through divestitures. The likely areas of divestiture, according to Biegelsen, are unicompartmental knees and shoulders, given the high combined market share.
Biegelsen pointed out that the EU antitrust regulators also launched an in-depth investigation into the Johnson & Johnson/Synthes merger on November 3, 2011, and that deal was cleared on April 19, 2012 after Johnson & Johnson agreed to divest its trauma business to Biomet.
The U.S. government has yet to approve the deal. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requested additional information in July. The transaction remains subject to the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, approval from the Japan Fair Trade Commission, as well as other customary closing conditions.
BofA Merrill Lynch analyst, Bob Hopkins said back in October that ...
