8-KAcquisitions & DispositionsMaterial AgreementsFinancial Events+2

BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO 8-K Report, Material Agreement (Nov 22, 2019)

Filed November 22, 2019For Securities:BMYCELG-RIBMYMP

Summary

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMY) filed an 8-K on November 22, 2019, detailing the completion of significant financial transactions related to its acquisition of Celgene. The company successfully completed its exchange offers and consent solicitations for Celgene's outstanding notes, retiring a substantial portion of Celgene's debt and issuing new BMY notes. This action is a critical step in integrating Celgene's operations and financial structure following the merger. Additionally, the filing confirms the completion of the acquisition of Celgene on November 20, 2019. As a condition to the merger, BMY also completed the divestiture of the OTEZLA® product line to Amgen for $13.4 billion on November 21, 2019. The company also repaid an $8.0 billion term loan, using proceeds from the OTEZLA® divestiture, thus deleveraging its balance sheet following these major corporate actions.

Key Highlights

  • 1BMY completed exchange offers and consent solicitations for Celgene's outstanding notes, issuing new BMY notes and retiring a significant principal amount of Celgene's debt.
  • 2The acquisition of Celgene was officially consummated on November 20, 2019.
  • 3BMY successfully divested the OTEZLA® product line to Amgen for $13.4 billion on November 21, 2019, as required by regulatory conditions for the Celgene merger.
  • 4The company repaid an $8.0 billion term loan on November 22, 2019, using proceeds from the OTEZLA® divestiture.
  • 5The exchange of Celgene notes for BMY notes involved the issuance of nineteen different series of BMY notes with varying interest rates and maturity dates.
  • 6Supplemental indentures were executed to facilitate the exchange and to modify the terms of the Celgene indentures, including the elimination of certain restrictive covenants and events of default.
  • 7A registration rights agreement was entered into to ensure the registration of the newly issued BMY notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary purpose was to retire a substantial amount of Celgene's outstanding debt and replace it with new debt issued by Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY). This is a key step in integrating Celgene's financial obligations into BMY's capital structure following the acquisition.

The OTEZLA® divestiture generated $13.4 billion in cash for BMY, which was used in part to repay an $8.0 billion term loan. This transaction helps to manage the financing of the Celgene acquisition and deleverage the company's balance sheet.

The Supplemental Indentures were executed to amend the terms of Celgene's existing debt agreements. Specifically, they aimed to eliminate most restrictive covenants and certain events of default. This action was likely necessary to facilitate the exchange offers and simplify the debt structure post-merger.

The Registration Rights Agreement obligates BMY to use commercially reasonable efforts to register the newly issued BMY notes. This provides holders of these notes with potential liquidity and ensures compliance with securities regulations, with provisions for additional interest payments if BMY fails to meet certain registration deadlines.