Thermo Fisher Scientific extends tender offer for Dionex

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, today announced that its previously announced tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Dionex Corporation (NASDAQ: DNEX) for $118.50 per share in cash ("the Offer") has been extended and will now expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, at the end of Thursday, April 7, 2011, unless further extended. All other terms and conditions of the Offer remain unchanged.

As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 15, 2011, approximately 9,084,585 shares of Dionex common stock, representing approximately 52% of all outstanding shares, had been tendered into and not withdrawn from the offer.

The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. As previously disclosed, on January 10, 2011, the waiting period required under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (as amended) expired, satisfying one of these conditions and the company is in the process of seeking similar clearances under antitrust laws of other jurisdictions. Also previously disclosed, in Europe Thermo Fisher is currently seeking to transfer jurisdiction to the European Commission rather than having to file for regulatory approvals in multiple countries. This process is likely to take the closing to early in the second quarter of 2011.