Press Release: Mergers: Commission clears, subject to conditions, takeovers of Guidant by Boston Scientific and of Guidant’s vascular businesses by Abbott Laboratories

The European Commission on 10 April 2006 approved under the EU Merger Regulation the planned acquisition by US healthcare group Boston Scientific Corporation of its competitor Guidant Corporation, a US company specialised in cardiovascular medical products, subject to conditions. In parallel, the European Commission also cleared the acquisition of Guidant’s interventional cardiology and endovascular devices businesses by Abbott Laboratories ('Abbott'), also subject to commitments. In the light of the commitments submitted by both Boston Scientific and Abbott, the Commission had concluded that the two transactions would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or a significant part of it.

European Commission: DG Competition: Merger cases: M.4076 http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/mergers/cases/index/m81.html#m_4076

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