Novartis becomes majority owner of Alcon
26 August 2010 00:00 in Pharmaceutical Company Restructures
Novartis has completed its purchase of 156 million shares in fellow pharmaceutical company Alcon, becoming the firm's majority shareholder in the process.
The company has paid a total of $28.3 billion (18.2 billion pounds) in cash to purchase shares previously owned by Nestle, meaning that Novartis now controls 77 per cent of Alcon's outstanding shares.
As a consequence of this move, five Nestle-designated members of Alcon's board of directors have stepped down from their positions and will be replaced by new members specified by Novartis.
Kevin Buehler, Alcon's president and chief executive officer, thanked Nestle for its contributions to the company's business for more than 30 years, while expressing confidence that its new relationship with Novartis will lead to further growth.
The sentiment was echoed by Joseph Jimenez, chief executive of Novartis, who stated: "Together, both companies can achieve their strategic priorities to deliver against patient needs through innovative and differentiated products."
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