Subject: Hoffmann-La Roche Likely to Announce Major Overhaul of Its Capital Structure 
Date: Published: 4/24/89 (39 lines)
Source:  Wall Street Journal.  Copyright Dow Jones & Co. Inc. 

    Hoffmann-La Roche Likely to Announce
    Major Overhaul of Its Capital Structure
    ----   
    By Margaret Studer and David B. Hilder
    Staff Reporters of The Wall Street Journal

    F. Hoffmann-La Roche & Co. is expected to announce today a
 major overhaul of its capital structure designed to broaden
 the trading of its highly priced shares.

[85 lines irrelevant to AIDS have been removed. -- sysop]

    Since Mr. Gerber took the helm at Roche 10 years ago, the
 Swiss concern has been reorganized gradually to emerge from
 problems with profitability to today's position as a growth
 concern with an increasing number of hot-selling products,
 such as Rocephin, an antibiotic.  The company also is heavily
 involved in AIDS research.
    Roche recently announced that its 1988 sales rose 13% from
 the year-earlier amount.  Net profit, to be discussed at
 today's news meeting, is expected to be well above the prior
 year's 482 million Swiss francs.
    The Sacher family is headed by the art collector Maya
 Sacher, who is more than 90 years old, and her 83-year-old
 husband Paul, a prominent concert conductor and patron of
 famous composers.  Nestle S. A. is often mentioned as a
 possible acquirer of a Roche interest.  As no member of the
 Sacher family is working at the company, speculation also
 mentions the possible setting up of a foundation to control
 the company.

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