UK: Thermo Fisher cancels Roper deal after antitrust hurdle

Thermo Fisher Scientific and Roper Technologies announced on Monday, June 10, they have mutually agreed to terminate Thermo Fisher’s deal to buy Roper’s unit Gatan owing to challenges in obtaining regulatory approval in the United Kingdom.

The US$925 million deal, announced last June, attracted the scrutiny of Britain’s competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which launched an in-depth inquiry in January into whether the deal could affect competition.

Thermo Fisher, the world’s largest maker of scientific instruments, wanted to strengthen its electron microscopy business with the acquisition of Gatan, which produces highly specialized “peripherals,” such as filters and cameras used in microscopes.

Full Content: Gov UK

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