ARTICLE SUMMARY:
The Medtronic/Covidien deal is the biggest merger in medical device history, with implications far beyond the size of the combined companies. But the ultimate impact of the deal is yet to be determined. Does it create a template for the future of the industry or a singularly powerful company, playing by its own rules? Geoffrey S. Martha, Medtronic’s senior VP, Strategy and Business Development, sheds light on these and other questions.
Valued at more than $42 billion, the merger of Medtronic Inc. and Covidien PLC is the biggest deal in the history of medical devices – twice as big as Johnson & Johnson’s acquisition of Synthes a couple of years ago, and 50% again as large as the device industry’s reigning blockbuster, Boston Scientific Corp.’s 2006 acquisition of Guidant.
