Siemens purchase of Acuson cleared in Germany

The German Federal Cartel Office has cleared Siemens Medical Engineering Group to proceed with completion of its offer to purchase all the outstanding shares of common stock of Acuson (SCAN, 10/11/00), the only remaining major independent ultrasound vendor, at $23 a share.

The offer, which would merge the American firm into a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens and create the world's largest ultrasound company, remains conditional on expiration of the waiting period under U.S. antitrust law.