Regulatory approval for Elekta’s acquisition of Nucletron

Elekta AB (publ) today announced it has obtained the required regulatory approval for its acquisition of Nucletron, the world leader in brachytherapy treatment planning and delivery. The closing of the transaction is expected in the coming days.

Through the combination Elekta will offer a complete range of radiotherapy planning and delivery technologies. As market leader in Europe and with strong positions in North America and Asia, Elekta will enhance the combined ability to meet the clinical needs of cancer patients and health care providers throughout the world.

Nucletron will be integrated into Elekta’s organization and assume the responsibility as a center of excellence in the development of brachytherapy solutions, becoming the fourth Business Area at Elekta – alongside Oncology, Neuroscience and Software.

“Now we have received the go-ahead to conclude the deal, and we are very enthusiastic about building a broader, stronger and highly complementary range of cutting-edge cancer care solutions,” said Elekta President and CEO Tomas Puusepp. “Elekta is committed to brachytherapy and to continue the ongoing development. I welcome our new colleagues to work with us on a best practice basis in the interest of enhancing patient and customer value by providing solutions that improve, prolong and save lives.”

“By joining the Elekta Group we will have a much stronger ability to pioneer cutting-edge cancer care through shared know-how and R&D capabilities,” said Nucletron CEO Jos Lamers. “This combination represents a unique opportunity to realize the true potential of Nucletron and Elekta by extending our combined geographic reach and distribution capacity. During the coming integration period we will work hard together to fully exploit our joint potential to serve patients.“

Nucletron will add approximately 1,000 new customers to Elekta’s customer base of more than 5,000 and the combination will allow the enlarged group to take mutual advantage of Nucletron’s expertise in brachytherapy combined with Elekta’s global presence, particularly in emerging markets.

Under the terms of the acquisition agreement of June 21, 2011, Elekta is paying a cash consideration of EUR 365 million to acquire Nucletron on a cash and debt-free basis. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to Elekta’s cash earnings within twelve months. The transaction is financed through existing cash on hand and available credit facilities.

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For further information, please contact:
Stina Thorman, Vice President Corporate Communications, Elekta AB
Tel: +46 8 587 254 37, email: stina.thorman@elekta.com

The above information is such that Elekta AB (publ) shall make public in accordance with the Securities Market Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was published at 15.00 CET on September 13, 2011. 

About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives, making the future possible today.
 
Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 5,000 hospitals globally, and every day more than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis, treatment or follow-up with the help of a solution from the Elekta Group. Elekta reported net sales of SEK 7,904 M and EBITDA of SEK 1,744 M. Elekta employs around 2,800 employees globally. The corporate headquarter is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker Elekta. Website: www.elekta.com

About Nucletron
Nucletron provides state of the art radiotherapy solutions for cancer treatment that meet the evolving needs of patients, their caregivers and healthcare professionals around the world. Nucletron has unmatched global leadership in brachytherapy, a very precise, highly effective and well-tolerated treatment option for healthcare providers, tailored to the needs of individual patients.

The company works with clinical teams to constantly improve and develop an innovative portfolio of integrated products, software and services that assures excellent patient outcomes. Headquartered in Veenendaal, The Netherlands, Nucletron employs more than 500 employees, with offices in 18 countries, and products available in more than 100 countries around the world. Website: www.nucletron.com