The Bundeskartellamt has cleared the acquisition of Humaine-Kliniken GmbH, Fulda, by Fresenius AG, Bad Homburg. Fresenius plans to acquire 60 per cent of the shares in Humaine with a right of option on the remaining 40 per cent.

The Fresenius group is active worldwide as a manufacturer of medical products, provider of health services and operator of hospitals. Humaine is a German-Swiss hospital chain with currently four hospitals and two rehabilitation clinics in Germany and two rehabilitation clinics in Switzerland.

The President of the Bundeskartellamt, Ulf Böge, stated: “According to the investigations of the Bundeskartellamt the merger would have led to the creation of a dominant position in one geographic market. The Bundeskartellamt informed the parties to the merger of this fact, whereupon these sold a hospital in the region concerned to a third party. Consequently the merger could be cleared without any conditions or obligations.”