20.06.2024 08:25:37 - EQS-News: MorphoSys and Novartis Sign Delisting Agreement and Intend to Implement a Merger Squeeze-out of MorphoSys' Minority Shareholders
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EQS-News: MorphoSys AG / Key word(s): Squeeze Out
MorphoSys and Novartis Sign Delisting Agreement and Intend to Implement a Merger Squeeze-out of MorphoSys' Minority
Shareholders
2024-06-20 / 08:25 CET/CEST
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media Release
Planegg/Munich, Germany, June 20, 2024
MorphoSys and Novartis Sign Delisting Agreement and Intend to Implement a Merger Squeeze-out of MorphoSys' Minority
Shareholders
MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; NASDAQ: MOR) today announced that the company has entered into a delisting agreement with
Novartis BidCo AG and Novartis AG following the successful closing of the acquisition of MorphoSys by Novartis in May
2024. Novartis BidCo Germany AG (together with Novartis BidCo AG and Novartis AG hereinafter collectively referred to
as "Novartis") also informed MorphoSys of their intention to merge MorphoSys into Novartis by initiating a squeeze-out
of MorphoSys' minority shareholders.
In April 2024, Novartis submitted a voluntary public takeover offer for all outstanding MorphoSys no-par value bearer
shares, offering MorphoSys shareholders EUR 68.00 per share in cash (the "Takeover Offer"). The acceptance period of the
Takeover Offer and the statutory two-week additional acceptance period ended on May 13, 2024, and May 30, 2024,
respectively. As of June 20, 2024, Novartis holds approximately 91.04% of the total MorphoSys share capital, including
purchases by Novartis outside of the Takeover Offer. As a result, Novartis is the majority shareholder of MorphoSys,
making MorphoSys a Novartis company.
MorphoSys and Novartis Sign Delisting Agreement
Following the settlement of the Takeover Offer, MorphoSys and Novartis today signed an agreement confirming that
Novartis intends to launch a public delisting purchase offer (the "Delisting Offer") for all outstanding MorphoSys
no-par value bearer shares that are not presently held by Novartis. Novartis will offer MorphoSys shareholders EUR 68.00
per share in cash, corresponding to its preceding Takeover Offer.
The Delisting Offer document is expected to be published by Novartis in early July 2024 after the German Federal
Financial Supervisory Authority ("BaFin") has approved its publication, in accordance with the provisions of the German
Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act. Once the Delisting Offer document is published by Novartis, a four-week (but
not less than 20 U.S. business days) offer period for MorphoSys shareholders to tender their shares will commence.
Following publication of the Delisting Offer document, the MorphoSys Management Board and Supervisory Board will issue
a joint reasoned statement in accordance with sec. 27 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act.
Additionally, in accordance with U.S. securities laws, Novartis will file the Delisting Offer document and a Tender
Offer Statement on Schedule TO, and MorphoSys will file the joint reasoned statement and a Solicitation/Recommendation
Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").
Following BaFin approval, the Delisting Offer document and additional information relating to the Delisting Offer will
be published by Novartis on this website: https://www.novartis.com/investors/morphosys-acquisition/
delisting-purchase-offer. The Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on
Schedule 14D-9 will be made available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and under the "SEC Filings" section of the
MorphoSys website at www.morphosys.com/en/investors.
Following the publication of the Delisting Offer document by Novartis, MorphoSys will apply for revocation of the
admission to trading of MorphoSys shares on the regulated market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. MorphoSys also
intends to delist from NASDAQ. After the delisting becomes effective, MorphoSys shares will no longer be traded on the
regulated market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange or on NASDAQ, and follow-up obligations from such a public listing no
longer apply. Additionally, following deregistration with the SEC, MorphoSys will no longer be required to file reports
with the SEC. Both the delisting from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the delisting from NASDAQ are expected to take
place in the third quarter of 2024.
MorphoSys and Novartis Intend to Implement a Merger Squeeze-out of MorphoSys' Minority Shareholders
Novartis also informed MorphoSys of their intention to merge MorphoSys into Novartis. In this context, Novartis has
proposed entering negotiations with the MorphoSys Management Board regarding a merger agreement.
Given Novartis holds approximately 91.04% of the total MorphoSys share capital, Novartis is able to facilitate a
squeeze-out of MorphoSys' minority shareholders in connection with such a merger. Novartis will therefore seek the
transfer of MorphoSys' minority shareholders' shares to Novartis against an adequate cash compensation (merger
squeeze-out). The amount of the cash compensation has not yet been determined.
It is planned that the necessary shareholders' resolution on the merger squeeze-out will be adopted at the MorphoSys
Annual General Meeting expected to take place in August 2024.
About MorphoSys
At MorphoSys, we are driven by our mission: More life for people with cancer. As a global biopharmaceutical company, we
develop and deliver innovative medicines, aspiring to redefine how cancer is treated. MorphoSys is headquartered in
Planegg, Germany, and has its U.S. operations anchored in Boston, Massachusetts. To learn more, visit us at
www.morphosys.com and follow us on Twitter at X and LinkedIn.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
The delisting offer described in this communication (the "Delisting Offer") has not yet commenced. This communication
is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of MorphoSys AG (the "Company"). The
final terms and further provisions regarding the Delisting Offer will be in the offer document once the publication of
the offer document by Novartis BidCo AG (the "Bidder") has been approved by the German Federal Financial Supervisory
Authority (the "BaFin"), after which the offer document will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "SEC"). A solicitation and an offer to buy shares of the Company will be made only pursuant the offer document. In
connection with the Delisting Offer, the Bidder and Novartis AG will file a Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO with
the SEC (together with the offer document, an Offer to Purchase including the means to tender and other related
documents, the "Delisting Offer Documents"), the Company's management board and supervisory board will issue a joint
reasoned statement in accordance with sec. 27 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act and the Company
will file a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC (together with the joint reasoned
statement, the "Recommendation Statements"). THE COMPANY'S STOCKHOLDERS AND OTHER INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE
DELISTING OFFER DOCUMENTS AND THE RECOMMENDATION STATEMENTS BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION WHICH
SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE DELISTING OFFER. The Delisting Offer Documents
and the Recommendation Statements will be distributed to all stockholders of the Company in accordance with German and
U.S. securities laws. The Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on
Schedule 14D-9 will be made available for free at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Additional copies may be obtained
for free by contacting the Bidder or the Company. Free copies of these materials and certain other offering documents
will be made available on the Company's website in English at morphosys.com/en/investors/Novartis-TakeoverOffer and in
German at morphosys.com/de/investoren/Novartis-TakeoverOffer, by mail to MorphoSys AG, Semmelweisstrasse 7, 82152
Planegg, Germany or by phone at +49 89 8992 7179.
In addition to the Offer to Purchase, including the means to tender and certain other Delisting Offer Documents, as
well as the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, the Company files other information with the SEC. The Company's
filings with the SEC are also available for free to the public from commercial document-retrieval services and at the
website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov and are also available free of charge under the "SEC Filings" section of
the Company's website at www.morphosys.com/en/investors.
In order to reconcile certain areas where German law and U.S. law conflict, Novartis AG and the Bidder expect to
request no-action and exemptive relief from the SEC to conduct the Delisting Offer in the manner described in the offer
document.
Acceptance of the Delisting Offer by stockholders residing outside Germany and the United States of America may be
subject to further legal requirements. With respect to the acceptance of the Delisting Offer outside Germany and the
United States, no responsibility is assumed for the compliance with such legal requirements applicable in the
respective jurisdiction.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company, the Bidder and the Delisting
Offer that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include any statements containing
the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "goal," "may," "might," "plan," "predict,"
"project," "seek," "target," "potential," "will," "would," "could," "should," "continue" and similar expressions. In
this communication, the Company's forward-looking statements include statements about the expected timetable for the
consummation of the Delisting Offer and the delisting; the Company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions;
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(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires
June 20, 2024 02:25 ET (06:25 GMT)
|
Name |
WKN |
Börse |
Kurs |
Datum/Zeit |
Diff. |
Diff. % |
Geld |
Brief |
Erster |
Schluss |
![](/mel/img/quote_button.gif) |
MORPHOSYS AG O.N. |
663200 |
Frankfurt |
67,800 |
02.08.24 20:29:49 |
-0,050 |
-0,07% |
0,000 |
0,000 |
67,750 |
67,800 |
![](/mel/img/quote_button.gif) |
MORPHOSYS AG SP.ADR(TEMP) |
A2JJ5S |
Frankfurt |
16,800 |
08.08.24 08:28:18 |
-0,100 |
-0,59% |
0,000 |
0,000 |
16,800 |
16,800 |