Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 26 AUGUST 2010

MOFCOM Issues Conditional Clearance of Novartis/Alcon Transaction

Hogan Lovells US LLP
Explore more from Hogan Lovells US LLP

On 13 August 2010, China's merger control agency — the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) — published its verdict on the Novartis/Alcon transaction on its website. MOFCOM allowed the proposed acquisition of Alcon by Novartis to go ahead, subject to conditions.

United StatesAntitrust/Competition Law
Jun Wei
Jun Wei
Adrian Emch
Adrian Emch
Andrew McGinty
Andrew McGinty
Henry Wheare
Henry Wheare

On 13 August 2010, China's merger control agency — the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) — published its verdict on the Novartis/Alcon transaction on its website. MOFCOM allowed the proposed acquisition of Alcon by Novartis to go ahead, subject to conditions.

The Novartis/Alcon decision was released almost ten months after the last decision where MOFCOM had imposed conditions to approve a merger. Given that MOFCOM only has a legal obligation to make public conditional approval decisions or prohibitions, implicitly this means that all other notified transactions during this period must have been cleared unconditionally.

The decision

Novartis notified the proposed transaction to MOFCOM in April 2010. Headquartered in Switzerland, Novartis is one of the world's top life sciences companies, with a broad business portfolio. Alcon is a smaller player in the life sciences field, with a high degree of specialization in eye care products.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Right To Repair Alert: Deere & Company Reaches Settlement With FTC, States

The Federal Trade Commission and five State Attorneys General have reached a landmark settlement with Deere & Company in a year-and-a-half antitrust litigation over the agricultural equipment manufacturer's restrictions on repair resources. The stipulated order, if approved, will require Deere to provide farmers and independent repair providers with the same repair tools and technical resources available to authorized dealers for a period of ten years.
United StatesAntitrust/Competition Law
Axinn LLP
Axinn LLP
Article

New York-Presbyterian Hospital Ruling Signals Widening Antitrust Exposure For Hospital Contracting Practices

A federal court ruling against New York Presbyterian Hospital validates DOJ theories that market power can be proven through supracompetitive pricing rather than market share alone, and that exclusionary conduct is not required for antitrust claims. This decision expands potential antitrust exposure for hospital systems employing restrictive contracting practices like all-products provisions, anti-tiering terms, and gag clauses...
United StatesAntitrust/Competition Law
Crowell & Moring LLP
Crowell & Moring LLP
Article

Life Sciences Antitrust Quarterly Update Q3 2026

This quarterly update examines key antitrust developments in life sciences during Q3 2026, including the FTC's investigation of Boston Scientific's $14.5 billion Penumbra acquisition, the DOJ's record $250 million HSR penalty against KKR, and European regulatory actions involving Sanofi and Align Technology. The analysis also explores the UK's pro-innovation approach to healthcare AI regulation and its implications for the medical device industry.
GlobalAntitrust/Competition Law
Goodwin Procter LLP
Goodwin Procter LLP