EU Commission puts conditions on Boehringer Ingelheim's consumer health deal with Sanofi

The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the consumer health business of Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim by French pharma major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN), subject to conditions.

Back in June, the companies agreed a $25 billion deal for an exchange of Sanofi's animal health business (Merial) to Boehringer, with the latter’s consumer healthcare (CHC) business going to Sanofi.

The decision is conditional upon the divestment of a number of Sanofi's and Boehringer's businesses in the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Hungary, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia. The Commission had concerns that the transaction, as initially notified, would have reduced competition on the markets for several pharmaceutical products. The commitments offered by Sanofi address these concerns.