Boots cleared for Cardinal acquisition

Published: 26-Oct-2006

The European Commission has cleared Alliance Boots' acquisition of Cardinal Health UK, a pharmaceutical wholesaler. Rather than impeding competition, Brussels cleared the deal as being complementary to the services of the cosmetics, beauty and health giant. Cardinal wholesales health products that sell fast and in large quantities and although Boots itself has a small ongoing 'short-line' wholesale service for popular health products, the Commission noted AAH and Phoenix remained direct competitors to a Boots-owned Cardinal, preserving choice in this sub-sector.


The European Commission has cleared Alliance Boots' acquisition of Cardinal Health UK, a pharmaceutical wholesaler. Rather than impeding competition, Brussels cleared the deal as being complementary to the services of the cosmetics, beauty and health giant. Cardinal wholesales health products that sell fast and in large quantities and although Boots itself has a small ongoing 'short-line' wholesale service for popular health products, the Commission noted AAH and Phoenix remained direct competitors to a Boots-owned Cardinal, preserving choice in this sub-sector.

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