Danaher to buy Nobel Biocare Holding for $2.2 billion including debt

By Caroline Copley

ZURICH (Reuters) - U.S. healthcare conglomerate Danaher Corp is to buy Nobel Biocare Holding AG for an agreed $2.2 billion (1.3 billion pounds), including debt, to expand in the global dental industry.

Danaher said on Monday it would pay 17.10 Swiss francs per Nobel Biocare share in cash, about 23 percent above Nobel Biocare's closing price on July 28, the day before the Swiss firm said it was in talks with potential buyers.

Nobel Biocare's shares fell 5.5 percent in early trade after analysts had said the company could fetch a price of over 20 francs per share.

Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch said it was unlikely a counter bid would materialise since fellow dental implant makers Straumann and Dentsply had already ruled out interest.

The acquisition of the world's second-biggest dental implant maker will bring Danaher a premium range of implants to add to its orthodontics and digital imaging systems and boost its dental business to sales of around $3 billion.

"This combination will help us build a strong platform for future growth," said Henk van Duijnhoven, Senior Vice President of Danaher's Dental segment in a statement.

The Nobel Biocare deal follows on from a wave of mergers among medical supplies makers this year. In April fellow dental implant maker Zimmer Holdings Inc agreed to acquire Biomet Inc for more than $13 billion.

Makers of premium implants have struggled since the financial crisis as cash-strapped consumers, particularly in Southern Europe, cut back on pricey dental work which is not generally reimbursed by insurers.

Nobel Biocare's stock is down 80 percent since its all-time high in 2007 as the company grappled with years of sliding sales and dwindling market share in the wake of the financial crisis.

But signs have grown that a long-awaited turnaround is taking root and the company has notched up five consecutive quarters of revenue growth at constant exchange rates.

The Zurich-based firm had sales of 567 million euros (452 million pounds) and net profit of 42.6 million euros in 2013. It has $556 million of bonds and loans.

Danaher said Nobel Biocare would continue to operate as a standalone company and maintain its own brand and identity. Nobel Biocare's board said it would recommend the deal, which is expected to be completed in late 2014 or early 2015.

Analysts had cited other dental implant players such as Henry Schein and Dentsply as possible acquirers of Nobel Biocare, while the company had reportedly also attracted interest from buyout group EQT Partners.

Nobel Biocare was advised by Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse.

(Additional reporting by Supriya Kurane in Bangalore; Editing by Louise Heavens and Mark Potter)