Elanco’s Application To Acquire Bayer’s Animal Health Business

The Commerce Commission has published a statement of preliminary issues relating to an application from Elanco to acquire Bayer AG’s animal health business in New Zealand.

The statement outlines the key competition issues that the Commission considers important in deciding whether or not to grant clearance to the proposed acquisition.

The Commission invites interested parties to provide comments on the likely competitive effects of the proposed acquisition. Submissions can be sent by email to registrar@comcom.govt.nz with the reference Elanco/Bayer in the subject line. Parties should provide a public version of their submission at the same time for publication on the Commission’s case register. Any submissions should be received by close of business on 5 March 2020.

The Commission is currently scheduled to make a decision on the application by 14 April 2020. However, this date may be extended.

The Statement of Preliminary Issues and a public version of the application can be found on the Commission’s case register.
 

Background

Elanco is a US-based global animal healthcare company that develops, manufactures and distributes healthcare treatments for a range of different companion animals (such as cats and dogs) and production animals (such as sheep, cattle and other ruminants).

Bayer Animal Health also develops, manufactures and distributes healthcare treatments for a range of different companion and production animals on a global basis.

In New Zealand, Elanco and Bayer Animal Health overlap in the supply of a number of different products for the treatment of companion and production animals including internal and external parasites and various viral and microbial conditions.

We will give clearance to a proposed merger if we are satisfied that the merger is unlikely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market.

Further information explaining how the Commission assesses a merger application is available on our website.

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