Philips makes $5.1B public offer to acquire Respironics

RP news wires, Noria Corporation

Royal Philips Electronics and Respironics Inc. on December 21 announced a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Philips will commence a tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Respironics for US$66 per share, or a total purchase price of approximately EUR 3.6 billion (US$5.1 billion) to be paid in cash upon completion. This transaction will firmly place Philips as a global leader in the fast-growing home healthcare market by adding new product categories in obstructive sleep apnea and home respiratory care to its existing businesses in this field. In addition, this acquisition will be highly complementary to Philips’ patient monitoring businesses in the hospital setting. The board of directors of Respironics has unanimously approved the transaction and recommends the offer to their shareholders.

 

Respironics, based in Murrysville, Pa., is the leading provider of innovative solutions for the global sleep therapy and respiratory markets. The fast-growing company develops, manufactures, distributes and markets innovative products in the field of respiratory medical technology, which are used in both home settings as well as in hospitals and clinics. Respironics has approximately 5,300 employees worldwide.

 

“Respironics is an excellent strategic fit and will significantly drive our growth in healthcare both in the hospital and in the home,” said Gerard Kleisterlee, president and chief executive officer of Royal Philips Electronics. “The acquisition of Respironics is another major milestone towards the completion of our objective to build market leadership positions in high-growth, high-margin businesses across the three market sectors of healthcare, lighting and consumer lifestyle. It is also another significant step in our continuing capital re-allocation process. With about EUR 10 billion worth of closed or announced acquisitions since 2005 and EUR 10.2 billion of realized or announced share repurchase programs during the same period, we are well on track to deliver an efficient balance sheet before the end of 2009.”
      
Almost three-quarters of Respironics’ sales are achieved in the company’s Sleep and Home Respiratory business which consists of diagnostic and therapeutic devices for sleep disordered breathing and chronic respiratory diseases. Respironics is a global leader in the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a condition characterized by the repeated cessation of breathing during sleep. It is estimated that in the United States alone there are 18 million to 20 million sufferers of moderate or severe OSA of which only 15 to 20 percent have been diagnosed. Research in recent years has shown a link between OSA, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Additionally, the company has a leading position in noninvasive ventilation and has recently introduced new home oxygen technologies to serve the needs of respiratory impaired patients in the home. The remainder of the company’s business is focused on the hospital channel and includes noninvasive and invasive ventilation, respiratory monitoring, neonatal products and respiratory drug delivery technologies for the treatment of respiratory diseases.

 

Growth in the US$5 billion plus global respiratory markets is expected to be at least 10 percent per annum going forward and the market for global sleep apnea management in particular is expected to show a mid-teen percentage growth rate annually in the coming years, as rising awareness of this potentially life-threatening condition leads to increasing diagnosis and treatment of OSA. Growth in the global sleep and respiratory markets is expected to be particularly significant in Asia and Europe, where Philips’ strong brand combined with the sales and distribution channels of both organizations will further accelerate adoption of Respironics’ innovative portfolio.

 

“A core part of Philips’ healthcare strategy is to take a leading position in the high-growth sector of home healthcare,” Steve Rusckowski, chief executive officer of Philips Healthcare and member of the board of management of Royal Philips, said. “This acquisition, with its significant strategic and financial benefits to Philips Healthcare, is another important step in carrying out this strategy.” Upon completion of this acquisition, Respironics will become the centerpiece of Home Healthcare Solutions, which will form part of Philips Healthcare as of January 1, 2008.

 

“The transaction we are announcing today will deliver superior and certain value to Respironics’ shareholders,” said John L. Miclot, president and CEO of Respironics. “The combination of Respironics and Philips will allow us to continue to provide exceptional products and services to our customers and allow Respironics to expand its leadership in the global sleep and respiratory markets. Philips is the right partner to create additional growth opportunities for our company, and we believe that our company will benefit significantly by being part of a larger, growing and dynamic organization. We look forward to working with Philips to ensure an effective and seamless transition.”
 
Philips has made a number of successful acquisitions in the area of Home Healthcare so far. Last year, Philips announced the acquisition of Lifeline Systems, and Health Watch and Raytel Cardiac Services were added this year. Philips Home Healthcare Solutions already offers a range of solutions that enable the treatment and monitoring of patients in the surroundings of their personal living space rather than in a hospital environment. Today, Philips Home Healthcare Solutions supports almost one million at-risk seniors, either in their own homes or in senior living facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

 

Cost synergies expected from this transaction will be primarily based on supply chain optimization and savings in general and administrative expenses including IT related synergies to be achieved by leveraging Respironics’ strong IT infrastructure. Respironics’ respiratory management portfolio is synergistic with Philips’ current offerings in patient monitoring, from pre-hospital admission to long-term disease management in the home. The combined businesses will profit from cross-selling opportunities leveraging Philips’ existing strengths in both the hospital and the home. The transaction will be immediately accretive to revenue growth as well as EBITA margin to Philips and Philips Healthcare.

 

Over a 12-month period ending in September 2007, Respironics reported sales of approximately US$1.2 billion with an EBITDA margin of 19 percent. In its last five fiscal years, Respironics has seen revenues grow at a compound annual growth rate of 19 percent while the EBITA margin grew at a compound annual growth rate of 20 percent over this period.

 

This transaction is structured as an all-cash tender offer by Philips for all of the issued and outstanding shares of Respironics, to be followed by a merger in which each remaining un-tendered share of Respironics will be converted into the US$66 per share price paid in the tender offer. The tender offer is expected to commence by January 8, 2008 and is not subject to any financing contingency. The acquisition will be effected pursuant to a merger agreement and is subject to the terms and conditions of that agreement. These include the tender of a majority of the outstanding Respironics shares, as well as customary U.S. and European Union regulatory clearances. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008 upon which Respironics will become the headquarters for Philips Home Healthcare Solutions group within Philips Healthcare.