Competition Bureau requires divestiture in Novartis / Alcon Transaction
On August 9, 2010, the Competition Bureau announced that it had entered into a consent agreement with Novartis AG to resolve competition concerns stemming from Novartis’ proposed acquisition of control of Alcon, Inc.
The Bureau had concluded that, in the absence of a remedy, the acquisition would likely result in a substantial lessening of competition in Canada in the supply of certain ophthalmic products, more particularly: injectable miotics (which are used to contract the pupil in order to perform surgery); ocular conjunctivitis drugs (which are used to treat seasonal allergies); and multi-purpose contact lens cleaners/disinfectants solutions. The consent agreement requires the divestiture of assets and associated licenses relating to the sale in Canada of the following Novartis products: Miochol-E (an injectable miotic); Zaditor (an anti-allergy agent); and Solocare Aqua (a multi-purpose contact lens cleaner and disinfecting solution, including the MicroBlock anti-bacterial lens case).
The registered consent agreement contemplates that Novartis will have an initial sale period within which to complete the divestiture of the products in question, failing which a divestiture trustee will be empowered to complete the divestiture. It also contemplates that the relevant Miochol-E assets and associated licenses will be divested to Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, pursuant to an asset purchase agreement signed in July 2010. The consent agreement does not contain an explicit “hold separate” obligation but does contain detailed asset preservation obligations, together with the appointment of a monitor.
The transaction had been announced on January 4, 2010, suggesting a relatively long review period by the Bureau. The remedy is somewhat notable in that Novartis already owned an approximate 25% interest in Alcon, which it acquired in 2008. It is not publicly known whether the Bureau reviewed the initial 2008 acquisition of the 25% interest, or how its analysis differed in respect of the 2010 transaction.
This transaction represents the fifth occasion to date in 2010 for which the Bureau has required a merger remedy (along with Ticketmaster/Live Nation, BFI Canada/Waste Services, Nufarm/AH Marks, and Teva/ratiopharm).
