Covance Inc. Stockholders Approve Acquisition by Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings

PRINCETON, N.J. and BURLINGTON, N.C., Feb. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Covance Inc. CVD (Covance) and Laboratory Corporation of America^® Holdings LH (LabCorp^®) jointly announced that Covance's stockholders voted to adopt the previously announced merger agreement providing for the acquisition of Covance by LabCorp at the special meeting of Covance stockholders held earlier today. More than 99 percent of votes cast at the special meeting were in favor of the transaction, representing more than 78 percent of all outstanding Covance shares.

As previously announced on November 3, 2014, the Boards of Directors of both Covance and LabCorp approved a definitive agreement under which Covance stockholders will receive $75.76 in cash and 0.2686 LabCorp shares for each Covance share they own. The transaction, which is expected to close on or about February 19, 2015, remains subject to the satisfaction of the closing conditions set forth in the merger agreement.

About LabCorp^®

Laboratory Corporation of America^® Holdings, an S&P 500 company, is a pioneer in commercializing new diagnostic technologies and the first in its industry to embrace genomic testing. With annual revenues of $5.8 billion in 2013, over 34,000 employees worldwide, and more than 220,000 clients, LabCorp offers more than 4,000 tests ranging from routine blood analyses to reproductive genetics to companion diagnostics. LabCorp furthers its scientific expertise and innovative clinical testing technology through its LabCorp Specialty Testing Group: The Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Genetics Institute, ViroMed Laboratories, Inc, The Center for Esoteric Testing, Litholink Corporation, Integrated Genetics, Integrated Oncology, Dianon Pathology, Monogram Biosciences, Inc, Colorado Coagulation, Cellmark Forensics, MedTox, and Endocrine Sciences. LabCorp conducts clinical trials testing through its LabCorp Clinical Trials division. LabCorp clients include physicians, government agencies, managed care organizations, hospitals, clinical labs, and pharmaceutical companies. To learn more about LabCorp, visit its website at: www.labcorp.com.

About Covance

Covance, the world's most comprehensive drug development company and a leader in nutritional analysis, is dedicated to advancing healthcare and delivering Solutions Made Real™. The company, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, has annual revenues greater than $2.5 billion and more than 12,500 employees located in over 60 countries. Information on Covance's solutions, recent press releases, and SEC filings can be obtained through its website at www.covance.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This communication contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, known as the PSLRA.  These statements, as they relate to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings ("LabCorp") or Covance Inc. ("Covance"), the management of either such company or the proposed transaction between LabCorp and Covance, involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements.  These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and therefore, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on them.  No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected.  LabCorp and Covance undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.  Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions and projections about the business and future financial results of the pharmaceutical industry, and other legal, regulatory and economic developments.  We use words such as "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "expects," "projects," "future," "intends," "may," "will," "should," "could," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "guidance," and similar expressions to identify these forward-looking statements that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the PSLRA.  Actual results could differ materially from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, those described in the documents LabCorp and Covance have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") as well as the possibility that (1) LabCorp and Covance may be unable to obtain stockholder or regulatory approvals required for the proposed transaction or may be required to accept conditions that could reduce the anticipated benefits of the merger as a condition to obtaining regulatory approvals; (2) the length of time necessary to consummate the proposed transaction may be longer than anticipated; (3) problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of LabCorp and Covance or such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; (4) the proposed transaction may involve unexpected costs; (5) the businesses may suffer as a result of uncertainty surrounding the proposed transaction, including difficulties in maintaining relationships with customers or retaining key employees; (6) the parties may be unable to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the transaction; or (7) the industry may be subject to future risks that are described in the "Risk Factors" section of the Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus referred to below and other documents filed from time to time with the SEC by LabCorp and Covance.  Neither LabCorp nor Covance gives any assurance that either LabCorp or Covance will achieve its expectations. 

The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.  You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect the businesses of LabCorp and Covance described in the "Risk Factors" section of their respective Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus referred to below and other documents filed by either of them from time to time with the SEC.  All forward-looking statements included in this document are based upon information available to LabCorp and Covance on the date hereof, and neither LabCorp nor Covance assumes any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE Covance Inc.