September 21, 2009, 2009 (FinancialWire) — French drugmaker Sanofi-aventis (NYSE: SNY) has acquired Merck & Co., Inc.’s (NYSE: MRK) 50 percent interest in Merial Ltd. for $4 billion in cash.

Formed in 1997, Merial is an animal health company that was a 50/50 joint venture between Merck and sanofi-aventis and is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sanofi-Aventis.

Under the deal, sanofi-aventis also has an option, following the closing of the Merck/Schering-Plough merger, to combine the Intervet/Schering-Plough animal health business with Merial to form an animal health joint venture that would be equally owned by the new Merck and sanofi-aventis.

Sanofi-Aventis said that its acquisition of Merial is expected to be accretive the company’s adjusted net income from the first year.

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