Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS NEWS: EC approves Becton Dickinson, CareFusion merger, (Mar 16, 2015)

The European Commission has approved Becton, Dickinson and Co.’s proposed acquisition of CareFusion Corp. Both companies are based in the United States and develop and manufacture medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents.

In approving the proposed acquisition, the EC analyzed several medical device markets, concluding that the transaction would not raise competition concerns. Specifically, the EC found that Becton Dickinson and CareFusion are not close competitors, and there are several strong players that will continue to place competitive pressure on the merged entity. Further, the companies’ activities merely complement each other and their market shares in most countries are moderate.

The proposed acquisition has now received all necessary regulatory approvals, according to a joint CareFusion/Becton, Dickinson statement. The companies expect the proposed acquisition to close on March 17, 2015.

Companies: Becton, Dickinson and Co.; CareFusion Corp.

News: AcquisitionsMergers Antitrust