Adamed may take over Polfa Pabianice and Cephalon may acquire Mepha - the President of UOKiK has granted additional consents to implement concentrations in the pharmaceutical market. Furtermore, the green light was given to undertakings operating in the banking and paper products sectors

Adamed and Polfa Pabianice produce and sell drugs and active substances, Polfa Pabianice being part of the Polish Pharmaceutical Holding owned by the State Treasury. The transaction will be performed by way of an acquisition by Adamed the shares of Polfa Pabianice (85.04% of its share capital) and intends to expand Adamed’s activity in the Polish market, i.a. by including in the offer medicinal products not subject to prescription.

The President of UOKiK has also issued a consent for another transaction between drug producers and decided that the acquisition of Mepha by Cephalon shall not impede the competition in Poland. Whereas Cephalon owns in Poland a company which promotes its products, Mepha does not own any subsidiaries in the country.

A decision was also issued as regards the acquisition of GMAC Bank Polska by Getin Noble Bank, a retail bank with branches all over Poland. GMAC Bank Polska operates in the car loan sector offering i.a. credit lines for car dealers selling such makes as Saab, Opel and Chevrolet.

In addition, the President of UOKiK granted a consent for the acquisition of Wepa by PHM Holdco, an investment fund. Wepa, the undertaking to be taken over, produces hygiene paper products. It owns the company Wepa Professional Piechowice operating in Poland. After the transaction is performed, PHM Holdco will take control over Wepa along with three current undertakings’ owners.

Having completed the antitrust proceedings, the President of UOKiK decided that the concentrations shall not significantly impede competition in Poland.

Under the existing regulations, a transaction is subject to a notification to the antitrust authority if the combined worldwide turnover of undertakings participating in the concentration in the financial year preceding the year of the notification exceeds the equivalent of EUR 1 000 000 000, or EUR 50 000 000 in Poland.

We would also like to inform that since May 2009, information on all antitrust proceedings related to mergers and acquisitions carried out by UOKiK, has been available at the Office’s website.

Additional information the media:
Małgorzata Cieloch, Spokesperson for UOKiK
Department of International Relations and Communication
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warsaw, Poland
Phone: (+48 22) 827 28 92, 55 60 106, 55 60 430
faks (+48 22) 826 11 86
E-mail: malgorzata.cieloch@uokik.gov.pl