Заголовок: Sanofi-Synthelabo has extended the U.S. offer until Wednesday June
30, 2004
Компания: Sanofi-Synthelabo
Paris, France - May 26, 2004 — Sanofi-Synthelabo (PARIS: SAN, NYSE: SNY) announces
that pending the decision of the Autoritй des marchйs financiers (AMF) — the
French stock market regulator — to set the expiration date of Sanofi-Synthelabo’s
revised offer for the ordinary shares of Aventis (PARIS: AVE, FRANKFURT: AVE.ETR,
NYSE: AVE), Sanofi-Synthelabo has extended the U.S. offer until 5:00 p.m. (Eastern
Daylight Time) on Wednesday June 30, 2004, unless it is extended or withdrawn
prior to that time. Holders of Aventis securities eligible to participate in
the U.S. offer may tender, or withdraw their tendered, Aventis securities at
any time until that time. The U.S. offer had previously been scheduled to expire
at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 28, 2004.
As previously disclosed, under applicable French law, the AMF will set the expiration
date of the French offer after it has granted its visa to the recommendation
statement (note d’information en rйponse) of Aventis and Aventis has published
that recommendation statement. The AMF has the sole authority to fix the expiration
date of the French offer or to subsequently extend that expiration date. As
soon as the AMF has set the expiration date in the French offer, Sanofi-Synthelabo
will issue a press release announcing that expiration date. If the AMF sets
a later expiration date in the French offer, Sanofi-Synthelabo will announce
that the U.S. offer has been extended until the same time. Subject to applicable
law, Sanofi-Synthelabo reserves the right to extend the U.S. offer, if the AMF
has not set an expiration date for the French offer by June 30, 2004.
Sanofi-Synthelabo intends that the French offer, the U.S. offer and the German
offer will expire at the same time on the expiration date that will be set by
the AMF.
As of the close of business on May 25, 2004, a total of approximately 900,000
Aventis ADSs had been tendered in and not withdrawn from the U.S. offer. Because
of French centralization procedures, the number of Aventis ordinary shares tendered
in and not withdrawn from the offers cannot be known until after the expiration
of the offers.
In accordance with article 7 of the COB rule no. 2002-04, this press release
was transmitted to the Autoritй des marchйs financiers (AMF) before its publication.
Important Information: In connection with the proposed acquisition of Aventis,
Sanofi-Synthйlabo has filed a registration statement on Form F-4 (File no. 333-112314),
including a prospectus/offer to exchange, and will file additional documents
with the SEC. Investors are urged to read the registration statement, including
the prospectus/offer to exchange, and any other relevant documents filed with
the SEC, including all amendments and supplements (including any supplement relating
to its revised offers), because they contain important information. Free copies
of the registration statement, as well as other relevant documents filed with
the SEC, may be obtained at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. The prospectus/offer
to exchange and other transaction-related documents are being mailed to Aventis
securityholders eligible to participate in the U.S. offer and additional copies
may be obtained for free from MacKenzie Partners, Inc., the information agent
for the U.S. offe!
r, at the following address: 105, Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016; telephone:
1-(212) 929-5500 (call collect) or 1-(800) 322-2885 (toll-free call); e-mail
proxy@mackenziepartners.com. In connection with its revised offer, Sanofi-Synthelabo
intends to distribute a supplement to the prospectus/offer to exchange in the
coming days.
In France, holders of Aventis securities are requested, with respect to the offer,
to refer to the prospectus supplement (note d’information complйmentaire), which
has been granted visa number 04-384 by the Autoritй des marchйs financiers ("AMF")
and which is available on the website of the AMF (www.amf-france.org) and without
cost from: BNP Paribas Securities Services, GIS-Emetteurs, Service Logistique,
Les Collines de l’Arche, 75450 Paris Cedex 9 and to the recommendation statement
(note d’information en rйponse) of Aventis when it is available.
Контактная информация:
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Контактное лицо: Elena Kulkova
project manager
E-mail: y.kulkova@pressto.ru
Телефон: +7 095 101-35-23