Thermo Fisher Scientific and QIAGEN N.V. Agree on Amended Terms to Acquisition Agreement

Offer price increased

17-Jul-2020 - Netherlands

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and QIAGEN N.V. announced that they have entered into an amendment to their acquisition agreement under which Thermo Fisher has commenced a tender offer to acquire all of the ordinary shares of QIAGEN.

The amendment provides for an increase from the original offer price of €39.00 to a new price of €43.00 per QIAGEN share in cash, which represents a premium of approximately 35% to the closing price of QIAGEN’s ordinary shares on the Frankfurt Prime Standard on March 2, 2020, the last trading day prior to the announcement of the acquisition agreement and Thermo Fisher’s intention to commence the offer. The amendment also provides for a reduction of the minimum acceptance threshold from 75% to 66.67% of QIAGEN’s issued and outstanding ordinary share capital at the end of the acceptance period on August 10, 2020, as well as a USD 95 million expense reimbursement to Thermo Fisher if the minimum acceptance threshold is not met.

The members of QIAGEN’s Supervisory Board and Managing Board have reaffirmed their unanimous support for the offer and their unanimous recommendation that all QIAGEN shareholders accept and tender all of their QIAGEN shares in the offer prior to the end of the acceptance period, which has now been extended to August 10, 2020. Each of the members of the Supervisory Board and Managing Board has tendered or will tender all of their QIAGEN shares in the offer.

Marc N. Casper, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific, said, “Industry dynamics have changed considerably in the past few months, creating tailwinds and headwinds for our businesses. Both of our companies are playing important roles in helping customers to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. After careful consideration, we’ve decided to increase our offer for QIAGEN to reflect the fair value of the business given the current environment. We remain confident that this transaction will create shareholder value and, importantly, provide meaningful benefits to our customers and society by combining our capabilities to combat infectious diseases and other healthcare issues. We continue to look forward to completing the transaction in the first half of 2021.”

“After carefully considering the updated offer by Thermo Fisher, QIAGEN’s Supervisory Board and Managing Board both unanimously recommend that shareholders accept this offer given that it reflects the improvements in our business performance and future prospects as a result of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Thierry Bernard, chief executive officer of QIAGEN N.V. “The rationale for this strategic step is stronger than ever, especially as the value of molecular testing becomes ever more evident. This combination is designed to enable QIAGEN employees and our portfolio of Sample to Insight solutions to have an even greater impact on society while also delivering significant cash value to our shareholders. We look forward to working closely with Thermo Fisher to successfully complete the transaction.”

QIAGEN shareholders who have already effectively accepted the offer by tendering their shares are not required to take further action in order to receive the increased offer price in accordance with the terms of the offer. Thermo Fisher’s tender offer statement on Schedule TO, including the offer document that is an exhibit thereto, and QIAGEN’s solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 will be amended to reflect the revised terms of the transaction. The acceptance period is now scheduled to expire at 24:00 hours (Frankfurt am Main local time) / 18:00 hours (New York local time) on August 10, 2020.

https://www.analytica-world.com/en/news/1167241/thermo-fisher-scientific-and-qiagen-n-v-agree-on-amended-terms-to-acquisition-agreement.html