FORM 6-K

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

 

Report of Foreign Private Issuer

 

 

Pursuant to Rule 13a‑16 or 15d‑16

under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

 

For the month of  January 2004

 

Commission File Number            0-16174        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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          Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited          

(Translation of registrant's name into English)

 

 

5 Basel Street, P.O. Box 3190

          Petach Tikva 49131  Israel          

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):                             

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):                              

 

Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant is also hereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

 

If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g(3)-2(b): 82-                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

FTC GRANTS EARLY TERMINATION OF HSR WAITING PERIOD
ON TEVA SICOR MERGER

COMPANIES TO COMPLETE DEAL WITHIN SEVERAL BUSINESS DAYS

Jerusalem, Israel and Irvine, California. January 18, 2004.  Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA) and SICOR Inc. (Nasdaq: SCRI) announced that they have been advised by the Federal Trade Commission that early termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period has been granted with respect to the proposed acquisition of SICOR by Teva.   On Friday, January 16, 2004, the stockholders of SICOR voted to approve the merger.

 

The parties expect to complete the transaction within the next several business days.  

 

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., headquartered in Israel, is among the top 30 pharmaceutical companies and among the largest generic pharmaceutical companies in the world.  The company develops, manufactures and markets generic and innovative human pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients.  Close to 90% of Teva`s sales are in North America and Europe.  

 

SICOR Inc. is a vertically integrated, multinational pharmaceutical company that focuses on generic finished dosage injectable pharmaceuticals, active pharmaceutical ingredients, or APIs, and generic biopharmaceuticals. Using internal research and development capabilities, together with operational flexibility and manufacturing and regulatory expertise, SICOR is able to take a wide variety of products from the laboratory to the worldwide market.  Leveraging these capabilities, SICOR concentrates on products and technologies that present significant barriers to entry or offer first-to-market opportunities.  SICOR operates several manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Western and Eastern Europe and Mexico, while maintaining its corporate headquarters in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit our website at www.sicor.com.

 

Safe Harbor Statement under the U. S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which express the current beliefs and expectations of management. Such statements are based on current expectations and involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause Teva`s or SICOR`s future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include Teva`s or SICOR`s ability to successfully develop and commercialize additional pharmaceutical products, the introduction of competitive generic products, the impact of competition from brand-name companies that sell their own generic products or successfully extend the exclusivity period of their branded products, Teva`s or SICOR`s ability to rapidly integrate the operations of acquired businesses, including the pending acquisition of SICOR Inc., the availability of product liability coverage in the current insurance market, the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and pending legislation that could affect the pharmaceutical industry, the difficulty of predicting U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") and other regulatory authority approvals, the regulatory environment and changes in the health policies and structure of various countries, acceptance and demand for new pharmaceutical products and new therapies, uncertainties regarding market acceptance of innovative products newly launched, currently being sold or in development, the impact of restructuring of clients, reliance on strategic alliances, exposure to product liability claims, dependence on patent and other protections for innovative products, fluctuations in currency, exchange and interest rates, operating results and other factors that are discussed in Teva's Annual Report on Form 20-F and SICOR`s Annual Report on Form 10-K their other respective  filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the companies undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

TEVA PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES LIMITED

(Registrant)

 

 

 

By: /s/  Dan Suesskind

Name: Dan Suesskind
Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

Date: January 20, 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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