Gigantic health-care products company Johnson & Johnson expanded its growing presence in the cosmetic-medicine market today, announcing a $1.07 billion deal to purchase breast-implant maker Mentor of Santa Barbara.

The acquisition intensifies J&J’s direct competition with Irvine-based Allergan. In September, J&J launched its own dermal filler, Evolence, which competes against Allergan’s Juvederm.

J&J’s increased challenge to Allergan will soon include Mentor’s breast implants, which vie with  Allergan’s versions. In addition, Mentor is developing the wrinkle-fighting injection PurTox to compete against Allergan’s Botox.

J&J, based in New Brunswick, N.J., announced today that it will pay $31 per share for Mentor stock, almost twice the $16.15 price at which it closed Friday.

The directors of both companies have endorsed the purchase, which is expected to be completed by April.

Mentor has about 1,250 employees, with sales of $373 million last year.

Allergan has nearly 8,000 workers and sales of $4 billion.

J&J, which sells products ranging from Tylenol to Band-Aids, dwarfs both of them. It has about 119,000 workers and $65 billion in annual sales.

Related links:

• Pros and cons of breast implants
• Sales of Botox, breast implants drop, but Allergan is upbeat
• Tori Spelling breast implants win a plastic surgeon defender
• Doctors respond to ‘Real Housewife’ breast-implant decision
• Queen Latifah: breast reduction surgery left me one size too small
• Scorn for Victoria Beckham breast implants; praise for new hairdo, dresses
• Mammograms are a challenge for women with implants

For more on cosmetic medicine, see links on the right side of this blog.

Posted in: Companies, industry, finances • OC • Plastic surgery • Uncategorized • Allergan • breast implants • J&J • Mentor |

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