Bayer buys Merck area for $ 14.2 billion

Bayer of Germany announced yesterday the purchase of consumer products operations of Merck for $ 14.2 billion. Acquired brands like Coppertone suntan and the antihistamine Claritin, the latest in a series of deals that are reshaping the world pharmaceutical industry.
The deal will make Bayer the second largest manufacturer of prescription drugs in the world, behind only the Johnson Johnson, USA, & and ahead of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the United Kingdom. This is the second largest acquisition made by Bayer. Last month, GSK also strengthened its position in the industry by closing the purchase of the Division of health care products of Novartis, Switzerland, as part of an exchange of assets of $ 20 billion.