Press Release: Mergers: Commission approves merger of activities of Galenica and Fresenius in human health sector

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the creation of a joint venture by Galenica of Switzerland and Fresenius of Germany in the human health sector. The Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) 1 or any substantial part of it.

The newly created joint venture will supply intravenous iron preparations manufactured by Galenica. Fresenius uses iron preparations in its clinics when providing dialysis treatment to patients with chronic kidney disease. The parties are therefore active in several Member States on markets at different levels of the supply chain.

The Commission concluded that the vertical link between the joint venture's activities on the market for iron preparations and Fresenius' activities on the market for dialysis services would not prevent competitors on either of those markets from being able to find sufficient customers and suppliers respectively.