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Danaher Agrees to Take Over Nobel Biocare for $2.2 Billion

Sept. 15 (Bloomberg) — Danaher Corp., a U.S. medical- device maker, agreed to buy Nobel Biocare Holding AG, a Swiss maker of dental implants, for $2.2 billion including assumed debt and cash.

Danaher will pay 17.10 Swiss francs ($18.30) a share in cash, 5.5 percent less than the closing price on Sept. 12, the company said in a statement today. Washington D.C.-based Danaher said the price is about 23 percent higher than Nobel Biocare’s closing price July 28, the day before speculation that the company would be sold.

Nobel Biocare was initially approached by Swedish buyout firm EQT with an offer of about 17 Swiss francs a share, people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg in August. The offer prompted the company and its adviser Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to invite other bids as it sought a higher price, the people said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Mulier in Geneva at tmulier@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Boxell at jboxell@bloomberg.net John Bowker

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR