Novartis tender offer for MorphoSys AG commences

On April 11, 2024 Novartis reported the offer document for the voluntary public takeover offer by its wholly owned subsidiary Novartis BidCo AG for all outstanding shares of MorphoSys AG ("MorphoSys"), including all shares represented by MorphoSys American Depositary Shares (the "Offer"), for an offer price of EUR 68.00 per share in cash (Press release, Novartis, APR 11, 2024, View Source [SID1234642012]). The offer price corresponds to a premium of 142% on the volume-weighted average price during the last three months, as of the unaffected January 25, 2024, close.

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The Offer is being made upon and subject to the terms and conditions set out in the offer document, including a 65% minimum acceptance threshold. The offer document is available in German and in the form of a non-binding English language translation, which, alongside other information in relation to the offer, are available on the following website: www.novartis.com/investors/morphosys-acquisition.The publication of the offer document has been approved by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority ("BaFin").

MorphoSys’ Management Board and Supervisory Board have declared that they intend to recommend to shareholders the acceptance of the offer in their joint reasoned statement subject to a careful review of the offer document.

The acceptance period for the Offer starts today and ends on 13 May 2024, at 24:00 hours CEST and 18:00 hours EDT (also on May 13, 2024) (the "Acceptance Period"). As all mandatory antitrust clearances have already been obtained, the payment of the offer price will be effected for the MorphoSys shares and ADS tendered during the Acceptance Period shortly after the publication of the tender results for that period, if the minimum acceptance threshold has been reached and the other offer conditions have been satisfied.

Georgeson is acting as information agent for Novartis in the Offer. Deutsche Bank is acting as share tender agent and The Bank of New York Mellon is acting as ADS tender agent for the Offer.

From today until 30 May 2024, a takeover offer hotline for shareholders is available between 9:00-18:00 hours CEST from Monday through Friday under +49 89 3803 8187 (for German callers) and +44 20 3005 6716 (for international callers). A takeover offer hotline for ADS holders is available between 9:00-23:00 EDT from Monday through Friday and 12:00-18:00 on Saturdays under +1 (866) 356-7344 (for U.S. callers) and +1 (781) 236-4704 (for callers outside the U.S).

Additional Information and Where to Find it
This communication is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of MorphoSys. The final terms and further provisions regarding the Takeover Offer are available in the offer document published by Novartis BidCo AG (formerly known as Novartis data42 AG) (the "Bidder"). The offer document has been approved by the BaFin and has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The solicitation and offer to buy shares of MorphoSys will be made only pursuant the offer document. In connection with the Takeover Offer, the Bidder and Novartis AG have filed Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO with the SEC (together with the offer document, an Offer to Purchase including the means to tender and other related documents, the "Takeover Offer Documents"), the management board and supervisory board of MorphoSys have issued a joint reasoned statement in accordance with sec. 27 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act and MorphoSys has filed a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC (together with the joint reasoned statement, the "Recommendation Statements"). THE MORPHOSYS SHAREHOLDERS AND OTHER INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE TAKEOVER OFFER DOCUMENTS AND THE RECOMMENDATION STATEMENTS BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION WHICH SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE TAKEOVER OFFER. The Takeover Offer Documents and the Recommendation Statements will be distributed to all stockholders of MorphoSys in accordance with German and U.S. securities laws. The Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 are available for free at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Additional copies may be obtained for free by contacting the Bidder or MorphoSys. Free copies of these materials and certain other offering documents are available on the Bidder’s website at www.novartis.com/investors/morphosys-acquisition or by contacting the Bidder’s investor relations department at +41 61 324 7944.

In addition to the Offer to Purchase, including the means to tender and certain other Takeover Offer Documents, as well as the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, MorphoSys and the Bidder will file other information with the SEC. Filings by Novartis AG and the Bidder with the SEC are also available for free to the public from commercial document-retrieval services and at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov.

In order to reconcile certain areas where German law and U.S. law conflict, Novartis AG and the Bidder have requested and received no-action and exemptive relief from the SEC to conduct the Takeover Offer in the manner described in the offer document.

Acceptance of the Takeover Offer by stockholders residing outside Germany and the United States of America may be subject to further legal requirements. With respect to the acceptance of the Takeover Offer outside Germany and the United States, no responsibility is assumed for the compliance with such legal requirements applicable in the respective jurisdiction.