Skip to main content
Aktualita

MERGERS: AMO SR approved the merger of Unilabs Diagnostics AB, Alpha medical, s. r. o., and AeskuLab Holding, a.s.

Updated on:
Content
On 22 March 2017 the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, the Division of Concentrations, (hereafter "the Office") approved the merger grounded in acquisition of indirect exclusive control of the undertaking Unilabs Diagnostics AB, Sweden (hereafter "Unilabs") over the undertakings Alpha medical, s. r. o., Martin, the Slovak Republic (hereafter "Alpha medical") and AeskuLab Holding, a.s., the Czech Republic (hereafter "AeskuLab").
 
The undertaking Unilabs belongs to the economic group of the undertaking Apax Partners LLP, which operates in the same area as the acquiring companies, only through the undertaking Unilabs, i. e. in the area of biomedical testing services, medical imaging, histopathology, reproductive medicine and the development of new medicines, while it operates mainly in the region of Scandinavia, in France and Switzerland, but not in the territory of the Slovak Republic.
 
Prior to the merger, the acquiring companies Alpha medical and AeskuLab belong to the portfolio of investment group Mid Europa Partners. The undertaking AeskuLab and the companies under its control operate in the area of ​​providing laboratory diagnostics, only in the territory of the Czech Republic.
 
The undertaking Alpha medical and companies under its control (hereafter "Group AM") operate exclusively in the territory of the Slovak Republic. Group AM provides mainly health care services within the common diagnostic and treatment components. It also provides consultation services in the field of laboratory medicine and it also provides services of transport of samples and some services of outpatient healthcare, too.
 
The Office found that from the spatial point of view in the territory of the Slovak Republic is no horizontal overlap between the activities of the parties to the merger. Neither is there a vertical relationship between the activities of the parties to the merger.
 
A certain horizontal overlap between the activities occurs only at the level of the European Economic Area, within the area of providing services of contracted research institute. However, this overlap is with respect to the content and the scope of acquiring companies’ activities negligible in the given area.
 
After evaluating the submitted documentation and information the Office came to a conclusion that the assessed merger would not impede effective competition in the relevant market significantly, particularly as a result of the creating or strengthening of a dominant position.
 
The decision came into force on 22 March 2017.