HEALTH

EU Panel to Probe Ciba-Geigy/Sandoz Merger: The European Commission said it would launch a detailed investigation into the competitive aspects of the merger, which would create the world’s second-largest drug company. The move is a sign the commission might impose conditions on the combination of the two Swiss chemical companies. The new company, to be called Novartis, would be the world’s biggest supplier of crop-protection products and No. 2 in pharmaceuticals. Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy in March announced plans to combine their worldwide activities. The deal marks one of the world’s biggest corporate mergers; it would create a company with a market value of $60.1 billion. The commission, the executive body of the European Union, said there were several sectors where the two firms’ activities overlap.