Press Release: Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Life Technologies by Thermo Fisher, subject to conditions

On 26 November 2013 the European Commission cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Life Technologies Corp. by rival Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., both US-based companies active in life science markets. Their activities overlap in the supply of laboratory instruments and consumables. The clearance is conditional on divestments of businesses producing and supplying media and sera for cell culture, gene silencing products and polymer-based magnetic beads. In these areas, the merger, as initially notified, would have significantly reduced competition.