EU orders Illumina to pay $476M fine over unapproved Grail deal
Illumina must pay a €432 million ($476 million) fine for buying the cancer-testing firm Grail without regulatory approval, the European Commission said today.
The San Diego-based company closed the deal in 2021 despite the EU’s ongoing antitrust investigation. More than a year later, the bloc told Illumina to unwind the transaction, but has yet to issue a formal divestiture order.
“EU merger rules require that merging companies not to implement mergers until approved by the Commission (“the standstill obligation”),” said the EU in a statement. “It is a cornerstone of the European merger control system, that enables the Commission to carry-out its role before structural changes modify the competitive landscape.”
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