Novartis takes 10 pct in dental implant firm Thommen

ZURICH, May 14 (Reuters) - Novartis AG (NOVN.VX) holds a 10 percent stake in privately owned Swiss dental implant maker Thommen Medical, Thommen said on Monday.

Novartis is expected to increase its stake to 20 percent in late summer, but Thommen's two current main shareholders will continue to hold a "clear majority" of shares, the company said, without identifying them.

"Novartis is a strategic partner for us," Thommen Chief Executive Andreas Stutz said in a statement. Novartis, which confirmed it had a 10 percent stake, also has a representative on the board of Thommen, which was set up in 2001 and does not disclose its sales.

((Reporting by Sam Cage

editing by Jane Baird

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