NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Sigma-Aldrich today announced that Brazilian regulators have approved the sale of the company to Merck KGaA.
The approval from Brazil's Council for Economic Defense becomes effective after a 15-day waiting period and follows recent approvals from regulators in Israel and South Korea, Sigma said.
US antitrust regulators cleared the deal in December, and European authorities conditionally approved it in June. Sigma said that it needs to fulfill certain requirements from the European Commission to sell parts of its solvents and inorganics business in Europe before it can complete the acquisition. Sigma and Merck are working toward closing the acquisition in the third quarter, it added.
The $17 billion transaction was announced in September 2014.