ACQUISITIONS

During the first quarter of 2011, we completed several acquisitions as part of our priority growth initiatives, targeting the areas of structural heart therapy, deep-brain stimulation, peripheral vascular disease, and atrial fibrillation. Our consolidated financial statements include the operating results for each acquired entity from its respective date of acquisition. We do not present pro forma financial information for these acquisitions given their results are not material to our consolidated financial statements.

Sadra Medical, Inc.

On January 4, 2011, we completed the acquisition of the remaining fully diluted equity of Sadra Medical, Inc. Prior to the acquisition, we held a 14 percent equity ownership in Sadra. Sadra is developing a fully repositionable and retrievable device for percutaneous aortic valve replacement to treat patients with severe aortic stenosis. The acquisition was intended to broaden and diversify our product portfolio by expanding into the structural heart market. We are integrating the operations of the Sadra business into our Interventional Cardiology division. We paid $193 million, net of cash acquired, at the closing of the transaction using cash on hand to acquire the remaining 86 percent of Sadra, and may be required to pay future consideration up to $193 million through 2016 that is contingent upon the achievement of certain regulatory- and revenue-based milestones.

Intelect Medical, Inc.

On January 5, 2011, we completed the acquisition of the remaining fully diluted equity of Intelect Medical, Inc. Prior to the acquisition, we held a 15 percent equity ownership in Intelect. Intelect is developing advanced visualization and programming technology for deep-brain stimulation. We have integrated the operations of the Intelect business into our Neuromodulation division. The acquisition was intended to leverage the core architecture of our Vercise^TM platform and advance our technology in the field of deep-brain stimulation. We paid $60 million at the closing of the transaction using cash on hand to acquire the remaining 85 percent of Intelect. There is no contingent consideration related to the Intelect acquisition.

ReVascular Therapeutics, Inc.

On February 15, 2011, we completed the acquisition of 100 percent of the fully diluted equity of ReVascular Therapeutics, Inc. (RVT). RVT has developed an intraluminal chronic total occlusion crossing device enabling endovascular treatment in cases that typically cannot be treated with standard endovascular devices. This acquisition complements our portfolio of devices for lower extremity peripheral artery disease and we have integrated the operations of RVT into our Peripheral Interventions business. We paid $19 million at the closing of the transaction and may be required to pay future consideration up to $16 million through 2014 that is contingent upon the achievement of certain regulatory- and commercialization-based milestones and revenue.

Atritech, Inc.

On March 3, 2011, we completed the acquisition of 100 percent of the fully diluted equity of Atritech, Inc. Atritech has developed a device designed to close the left atrial appendage of the heart. The WATCHMAN^® Left Atrial Appendage Closure Technology, developed by Atritech, is the first device proven to offer an alternative to anticoagulant drugs for patients with atrial fibrillation and at high risk for stroke. The acquisition was intended to broaden our portfolio of less-invasive devices for cardiovascular care by expanding into the areas of atrial fibrillation and structural heart therapy. We are integrating the operations of the Atritech business into our existing business, leveraging expertise from both our Electrophysiology and Interventional Cardiology divisions in the commercialization of the WATCHMAN^® device. We paid $98 million, net of cash acquired, at the closing of the transaction and may be required to pay future consideration up to $275 million through 2015 that is contingent upon achievement of certain regulatory-based milestones and revenue.

Purchase Price Allocation

The components of the aggregate preliminary purchase price as of the acquisition date for acquisitions consummated in the first quarter and first nine months of 2011 are as follows (in millions):



Cash, net of cash acquired	$	370
Fair value of contingent consideration	287
Prior investments	55
	$	712

As of the respective acquisition dates, we recorded total contingent consideration liabilities of $287 million, representing the estimated fair value of the contingent consideration we expected to pay to the former shareholders of the acquired companies based upon the achievement of certain regulatory- and commercialization-related milestones and revenue. The fair value of the contingent consideration liabilities was estimated by discounting, to present value, contingent payments expected to be made. In certain circumstances, we utilized a probability-weighted approach to determine the fair value of contingent consideration related to the expected achievement of milestones. We used risk-adjusted discount rates ranging from two to 20 percent to derive the fair value of the expected obligations, which we believe are appropriate and representative of market participant assumptions.

Prior to our acquisition of the remaining equity ownership in Sadra and Intelect, we held equity interests in these companies of 14 and 15 percent, respectively, carried at an aggregate value of $11 million, and a note receivable carried at a value of $6 million. As a result of re-measuring these investments to fair value, estimated at $55 million as of the respective acquisition dates, we recorded a gain of $38 million in other, net in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations during the first quarter of 2011.

We accounted for these acquisitions as business combinations and, in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification^TM (ASC) Topic 805, Business Combinations, we have recorded the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their respective fair values as of the acquisition date. The following summarizes the aggregate preliminary purchase price allocation as of September 30, 2011 (in millions):



Goodwill	$	271
Amortizable intangible assets	97
Indefinite-lived intangible assets	468
Deferred income taxes	(124		)
	$	712

Transaction costs associated with these acquisitions were expensed as incurred through selling, general and administrative costs in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations and were not material for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011.

We allocated the aggregate preliminary purchase price to specific intangible asset categories as of September 30, 2011 as follows:



	Amount Assigned (in millions)		Weighted Average Amortization Period (in years)	Range of Risk- Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation
Amortizable intangible assets
Technology - core	$	77	7.0	22.6	%
Technology - developed	20		9.0	25.0	%
	97		7.4
Indefinite-lived intangible assets
Purchased research and development	468			23.6% - 30.0%
	$	565

Core technology consists of technical processes, intellectual property, and institutional understanding with respect to products and processes that we will leverage in future products or processes and will carry forward from one product generation to the next. Developed technology represents the value associated with marketed products that have received regulatory approval. The amortizable intangible assets are being amortized on a straight-line basis over their assigned estimated useful lives.

Purchased research and development represents the estimated fair value of acquired in-process research and development projects which have not yet reached technological feasibility. These indefinite-lived intangible assets will be tested for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently if impairment indicators are present, in accordance with U.S. GAAP and our accounting policies described in our 2010 Annual Report filed on Form 10-K, and amortization of the purchased research and development will begin upon completion of the related projects. During the second quarter of 2011, as a result of changes in the timing and amount of the expected cash flows related to certain acquired in-process research and development projects, we tested the related intangible assets for impairment and recorded a $12 million intangible asset impairment charge in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations. We performed our annual impairment testing during the third quarter of 2011 and did not identify any in-process research and development assets whose carrying values exceeded their fair values. We estimate that the total cost to complete the in-process research and development programs acquired in the first quarter of 2011 is between $150 million and $200 million and expect material net cash inflows from the products in development to commence in 2014-2016, following the respective launches of these technologies in the U.S. and our Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) region.

We believe that the estimated intangible asset values represent the fair value at the date of each acquisition and do not exceed the amount a third party would pay for the assets. We used the income approach, specifically the discounted cash flow method and excess earnings method, to derive the fair value of the amortizable intangible assets and purchased research and development. These fair value measurements are based on significant unobservable inputs, including management estimates and assumptions and, accordingly, are classified as Level 3 within the fair value hierarchy prescribed by ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures.

We recorded the excess of the aggregate preliminary purchase price over the estimated fair values of the identifiable assets acquired as goodwill, which is non-deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill was established due primarily to revenue and cash flow projections associated with future technologies, as well as synergies expected to be gained from the integration of these businesses into our existing operations, and has been allocated to our reportable segments based on the relative expected benefit from the business combinations, as follows (in millions):



U.S.	$	158
EMEA	105
Inter-Continental	7
Japan	1
	$	271

Contingent Payments Related to Prior-Period Acquisitions

Certain of our acquisitions involve contingent consideration arrangements. Payment of additional consideration is generally contingent on the acquired company reaching certain performance milestones, including attaining specified revenue levels, achieving product development targets or obtaining regulatory approvals. We did not make any payments related to prior-period acquisitions during the first nine months of 2011, and made payments of $4 million during the first nine months of 2010. As of September 30, 2011, the estimated maximum potential amount of future contingent consideration (undiscounted) that we could be required to make associated with acquisitions consummated prior to 2009 is approximately $260 million. In accordance with accounting guidance applicable at the time we completed those acquisitions, we do not recognize a liability until the contingency is resolved and consideration is issued or becomes issuable. Topic 805 requires the recognition of a liability equal to the expected fair value of future contingent payments at the acquisition date for all acquisitions consummated after January 1, 2009. For those acquisitions completed after 2008, we recorded contingent liabilities representing the estimated fair value of the contingent consideration we expected to pay to the former shareholders of the acquired companies as of the respective acquisition dates. We re-measure these liabilities each reporting period, and report changes in the fair value through a separate line item within our consolidated statements of operations. Increases or decreases in the fair value of the contingent consideration liability can result from accretion of the liability due to the passage of time; changes in the timing and amount of revenue estimates; changes in the expected probability and timing of achieving regulatory or commercialization milestones; changes in discount rates; or payments.

In connection with our first quarter 2011 business combinations, we recorded liabilities of $287 million during the first quarter of 2011, representing the estimated fair value of contingent payments expected to be made at the respective acquisition dates, and recorded expense of $3 million in the third quarter of 2011 and $12 million during the first nine months of 2011 representing the increase in the fair value of these obligations between the respective acquisition dates and September 30, 2011. In addition, related to our 2010 business combinations, we recorded net contingent consideration expense of $3 million in the third quarter of 2011 and $6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, representing the increase in fair value of contingent obligations. The maximum amount of future contingent consideration (undiscounted) that we could be required to make associated with acquisitions completed after 2008 is approximately $760 million. Included in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets is accrued contingent consideration of $376 million as of September 30, 2011 and $71 million as of December 31, 2010.

Acquisition-related Milestone

In connection with Abbott Laboratories’ 2006 acquisition of Guidant Corporation’s vascular intervention and endovascular solutions businesses, Abbott agreed to pay us a milestone payment of $250 million upon receipt of an approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) to market the XIENCE V® stent system in Japan. The MHLW approved the XIENCE V® stent system and we received the milestone payment from Abbott in the first quarter of 2010, which was recorded as a gain in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of operations.