NxStage Medical, Fresenius again delay $2B merger

NxStage Medical (NSDQ:NXTM) yesterday once more delayed its pending $2 billion merger with Fresenius (NYSE:FMS) as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission continues to examine the deal.

In July, the German renal care giant and Lawrence, Mass.-based NxStage extended the deal’s closing date by 90 days, from August 7 to Nov. 5, saying it still expected to close the deal this year.

Yesterday, in a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, NxStage said the companies agreed this week to push the target back another thee months, to Feb. 5, 2019. For its part, Fresenius said it still expects to close the acquisition this year.

It’s been more than 14 months since the companies announced their merger plans. The FTC said a year ago that it wanted more information on the deal’s details; Fresenius is a NxStage customer, complicating its anti-monopoly implications. Last July, NxStage agreed to deal its Medisystems bloodlines business to B. Braun in a bid to mollify the FTC’s concerns.

Earlier today, the company saw its shares stay steady after it released third quarter earnings that saw profits and sales shrink compared to the previous year.