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Roche and Genentech reach a friendly agreement to combine the two organizations and create a leader in healthcare innovation

Roche intends to acquire all outstanding shares of Genentech for US$95.00 per share in cash

13 Mar 2009 - Roche and Genentech announced that they signed a merger agreement under which Roche will acquire the outstanding publicly held interest in Genentech for US$95.00 per share in cash, or a total payment of approximately US$46.8 billion to equity holders of Genentech other than Roche. The special committee of Genentech’s Board of Directors has approved the agreement and recommends that Genentech shareholders tender their shares in Roche’s tender offer.
 
Roche will amend its existing tender offer to reflect the increased price and eliminate the financing and certain other conditions to the offer. The tender offer remains subject to the condition that a majority of the public shareholders tender their shares. If the tender offer is completed, Roche will promptly consummate a second-step merger in which all remaining public shareholders will, without the need for further action by any public shareholder, receive $95.00 per share for their shares. Roche and Genentech have also amended their affiliation agreement to permit all shareholders to receive the same increased price in the tender offer and the merger. The expiration date for the offer is March 25, 2009. As of the close of business on March 11, 2009, approximately 2.9 million shares have been tendered pursuant to the offer. Strong benefits for both Genentech and Roche
 
According to Roche, the combined company will be the seventh largest U.S. pharmaceuticals company in terms of market share. It will generate approximately US$17 billion in annual revenues and will employ around 17,500 employees in the U.S. pharmaceuticals business alone, including a combined sales force of approximately 3,000 people.
 
Research and early development will operate as an independent center within Roche from its existing campus in South San Francisco, retaining its talent and approach to discovering and progressing new molecules. Roche’s Pharma commercial operations in the U.S. will be moved from Nutley, New Jersey to Genentech’s site in South San Francisco. The combined company’s U.S. commercial operations in pharmaceuticals will operate under the Genentech name, leveraging the strong brand value of Genentech in the U.S. market.