Satisfaction of Pre-Condition

RNS Number:4977U
Amersham PLC
21 January 2004



THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO PURCHASE OR A SOLICITATION OF
AN OFFER TO SELL ANY SECURITIES
                                                                 21 January 2004
                          ACQUISITION OF AMERSHAM PLC

                         Satisfaction of pre-conditions

Recommended share exchange acquisition of Amersham plc ("Amersham") by General
Electric Company and GE Investments, Inc. (together "GE") by means of a scheme
of arrangement (the "Scheme") under section 425 of the Companies Act 1985 (the
"Acquisition")

On 10 October 2003, GE and Amersham announced the pre-conditional recommended
Acquisition of Amersham applying a share exchange ratio which, at announcement,
valued each Amersham share at 800 pence and the diluted share capital of
Amersham at approximately #5.7 billion ($9.5 billion).

GE and Amersham today announce that the pre-conditions to the making of the
Acquisition have now been satisfied. The pre-conditions included regulatory
clearances from the European Commission, received today, and from the US
anti-trust authorities, received on 1 December 2003.

It is expected that Amersham's preliminary results for 2003 will be announced
and the documentation relating to the Scheme (which will incorporate Amersham's
preliminary results) will be despatched to Amersham shareholders in
approximately four weeks and it is intended that the Acquisition will complete
in early April. Full details of the terms and conditions and expected timetable
of the Acquisition and the Scheme will be set out in the scheme documentation.

Completion of the Acquisition remains subject to the satisfaction or, if
permitted, waiver of the conditions to the Acquisition as set out in the press
release of 10 October 2003, including, inter alia, the approval of Amersham
shareholders and the sanction of the Scheme by the High Court.

Enquiries:

GE
Richard Wacker (GE Investor Relations)                  [phone]
Pam Wickham (GE Medical Systems)                        [phone]
Louise Binns (GE Corporate Europe)                      [phone]
Peter Stack (GE Corporate Financial)                    [phone]

Goldman Sachs International
Richard Butland                                          [phone]

Amersham plc
Alexandra Morris (Investor Relations)                    [phone]
Dr Lynne Gailey (Media Relations)                        [phone]
Dr Graeme Holland (Media Relations)                      [phone]
Nancy Thingstad (Media Relations, Norway)                [phone]
Lucy Morrison (US Investor Relations)                    [phone]

J. P. Morgan plc
Edward Banks                                             [phone]

Morgan Stanley & Co. Limited
Johannes Groeller                                          [phone]

Goldman Sachs International, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by the
Financial Services Authority, is acting exclusively for GE and no one else in
connection with the Acquisition and will not be responsible to anyone other than
GE for providing the protections afforded to customers of Goldman Sachs
International nor for providing advice in relation to the Acquisition, or any
matter referred to herein.

J. P. Morgan plc, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial
Services Authority, is acting exclusively for Amersham as joint financial
adviser and no one else in connection with the Acquisition and will not be
responsible to anyone other than Amersham for providing the protections afforded
to customers of J. P. Morgan plc nor for providing advice in relation to the
Acquisition, or any matter referred to herein.

Morgan Stanley & Co. Limited, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by the
Financial Services Authority, is acting exclusively for Amersham as joint
financial adviser and for no one else in connection with the Acquisition and
will not regard any other person as a client in relation to the Acquisition and
will not be responsible to anyone other than Amersham for providing the
protections afforded to clients of Morgan Stanley & Co Limited nor for providing
advice in relation to the Acquisition, or any matter referred to herein.




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            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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