CE ADVISES IN ACQUISITION IN THE LITHUANIAN HEALTHCARE SECTOR, CLEARED BY THE Lithuanian Competition Council

CE ADVISES IN ACQUISITION IN THE LITHUANIAN HEALTHCARE SECTOR, CLEARED BY THE Lithuanian Competition Council

March 21, 2022

The Lithuanian Competition Council approves the fulfilment of conditions in the acquisition of joint control of InMedica and, indirectly, MediCA klinika, Kardiolita, Bendrosios medicinos praktika and Svalbono klinika by the investment fund INVL Baltic Sea Growth Fund and the companies Litgaja and RP PHARMA – Copenhagen Economics supported the parties during the review process.

On 12 November 2021, the Lithuanian Competition Council (LCC) issued conditional concentration approval for the merger, obliging the merging parties to transfer part of their activities to other existing market players.

On 14 March 2022, the Lithuanian Competition Council (LCC) concluded that the parties successfully fulfilled the conditions set out by the LCC.

Following an in-depth investigation, the LCC concluded that in a subset of all analysed markets, the acquisition would result in a significant impediment to competition. This includes markets of paid outpatient secondary-level cardiology, pulmonology and rheumatology services in the city and district of Kaunas, as well as in the markets of paid outpatient secondary-level cardiology and urology services in the city and district of Šiauliai. Seeking to eliminate potential adverse effects of the merger on competition, the merging parties submitted commitments to the LCC where the companies committed, among other things, to separate part of the InMedica business and transfer it to the buyer (or buyers), including all InMedica specialists providing paid outpatient secondary-level cardiology, pulmonology and rheumatology services in the city and district of Kaunas, as well as all specialists providing paid outpatient secondary-level cardiology and urology services in the city and district of Šiauliai. The LCC concluded that proper and timely implementation of the proposed commitments will eliminate the identified competition concerns.

The joint group of private medical institutions will operate in 20 cities in Lithuania, serving more than 200 000 patients. Patients will be provided with all three levels of services – from consultations with family doctors to complex heart surgeries in specialized Kardiolita clinics.

Copenhagen Economics provided economic support to the merging parties throughout its proceedings with the LCC.