Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: [[ticker:JNJ]]) is making its biggest acquisition ever, picking up Swiss medical device maker Synthes for $21.3 billion, according to a press release. New Brunswick, NJ-based J&J will pay 159 Swiss francs in stock and cash—a more than 20% premium over Synthes’ share price on April 14, when rumors about the deal first started swirling. The acquisition of Synthes, which makes equipment used in orthopedic implants and trauma surgeries, will greatly increase J&J’s market share in medical devices.
Author: Arlene Weintraub
Arlene is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences and technology. She was previously a senior health writer based out of the New York City headquarters of BusinessWeek, where she wrote hundreds of articles that explored both the science and business of health. Her freelance pieces have been published in USA Today, US News & World Report, Technology Review, and other media outlets. Arlene has won awards from the New York Press Club, the Association of Health Care Journalists, the Foundation for Biomedical Research, and the American Society of Business Publication Editors. Her book about the anti-aging industry, Selling the Fountain of Youth, was published by Basic Books in September 2010.
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