NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Fisher Scientific plans to divest an undisclosed product line after the Federal Trade Commission asked for information about that line as part of its review into Fisher’s planned merger with Thermo Electron, Fisher said yesterday.
Fisher said the product line is worth $17 million.
According to Fisher, the FTC had asked that it and Thermo Electron provide it with additional information about the line, which Fisher described as a “single, minor product line.”
Fisher said the FTC’s request is the second time the government agency has asked for information about the companies’ product lines.
“Thermo and Fisher expect to resolve issues raised by the second request by agreeing to divest a $17 million product line of Fisher's,” Fisher said in a statement.
As GenomeWeb News reported, Fisher and Thermo announced their plan to merge in a $10.6 billion deal in May.
In its statement yesterday, Fisher also said the companies “expect to obtain termination of the waiting period” under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act in October.
Thermo and Fisher are also “working cooperatively with the staff of the European Commission in connection with its review of the proposed merger,” Fisher added.
The companies continue to expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter following shareholder and regulatory approvals.
Additional information was not provided.