direct/ Capio AB - Capio acquires hospital group Tonkin in France

Capio has signed an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the French Tonkin Group. The turnover rate for Tonkin is EUR 105 M (SEK 965 M). Formal takeover is foreseen to take place on or about October 31, 2006. Through this acquisition, Capio will increase its French operations by about 30% and strengthen its position in Rhône-Alpes, the second main economic region in France.

Capio has signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the Tonkin Group. The Group has three clinics located in Lyon and Villeurbanne: Clinique du Tonkin, Clinique La Sauvegarde and Clinique Saint Louis. The clinics offer medical, surgical and obstetrical care services. The Tonkin Group has a strong regional position and is well-known for its high level of professionalism. The transaction is contingent upon the approval of the French competition authorities.

"The three hospitals provide high-quality care services with significant growth potential, offer opportunities for achieving synergies and scale advantages with our existing operations. We will strengthen our position in the Rhône-Alpes region and become an even more important player in the French healthcare market," says David Hiller, Head of the Capio Healthcare France business area.

"The acquisition of Tonkin is in line with our strategy in France, to actively take part in the consolidation of the French healthcare market through regionally complementary acquisitions", says Ulf Mattsson, CEO of Capio group.

"We were looking for an industry professional to acquire Tonkin hospital group. We are pleased to associate Tonkin Group with the European leader in healthcare. Capio, as a specialist in hospital management, is very well positioned to develop further the medical projects of our three clinics" says Jean-Louis Oger, Chairman of Marcel Mérieux Laboratory (the seller).

Gothenburg, September 21, 2006
Capio AB (publ)

For more information, please contact:
David Hillier, SVP and Head of the Capio Healthcare France business area +33 4 37 47 16 50
Ulrika Stenson, SVP Corporate Communications, Capio AB +46 31 732 40 04, +46 70 590 0723

Facts on the Tonkin Group
- The turnover rate for Tonkin is EUR 105 M (SEK 965 M), with an EBITDA level of EUR 14 M.
- 1 000 employees, 310 self-employed physicians.
- The enterprise value amounts to EUR 146 M (SEK 1,350 M).
- The three hospitals had total 604 beds.
- The Tonkin Group was founded in 1974 by a group of practitioners from the public university hospital of Lyon.
- The Clinique du Tonkin is the largest unit (302 beds) and is a point of reference in the Lyon area, able to provide a large range of different medical, surgical and obstetrical services which ensure a ranking amongst the best clinics in France.
- The Clinique de la Sauvegarde is the main medical and surgical hospital of the West of Lyon. The clinic is well-known notably for its medical and surgical cardiology care, digestive surgery, urology, ENT, orthopaedics and oncology. The patient recruitment extends beyond the local catchment area.
- The Clinique Saint Louis is a surgical hospital, specialising particularly in ENT, gastroenterology, urology and thoracic surgery.

Capio Group is one of the leading providers of healthcare services in Europe and operates in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Portugal. The Capio Group has annual net revenues of approximately SEK 13,000 M (EUR 1,400 M), with some 15,000 employees.
Capio is established in France since 2002, Capio owns 21 hospitals with more then 3,500 beds, 4,500 employees and 1,000 self-employed physicians. It has an annual turnover of EUR 300 M.

Capio acquires hospital group Tonkin in France
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