Information concerning 2019 dividend and the bioMérieux General Shareholders’ Meeting

The Board of Directors of bioMérieux met today and decided to hold the annual General Shareholders’ Meeting behind closed doors at the bioMérieux registered office on June 30, 2020. During this meeting, it will recommend reducing the 2019 dividend in order to support initiatives in the public interest.

With the publication of the 2019 financial results, the Company had initially recommended a dividend of €0.38 per share for a total payout of around €45 million. To meet the unprecedented challenges of solidarity and responsibility imposed by the current situation, the Board of Directors exceptionally recommends reducing the dividend that will be paid on July 16, 2020 to €0.19 per share. The remainder of the originally planned total payout, representing around €22 million, will be used for philanthropy with the aim of supporting solidarity actions.

In this case, the Mérieux Foundation will receive a donation of €12 million. This independent family foundation, with public interest status, works on the ground to combat infectious diseases that affect developing countries. In 2020, the Foundation has redirected some of its programs to the fight against COVID-19 in these countries. At the same time, €10 million will be allocated to local actions in the countries where bioMérieux operates, and to initiatives to provide aid for the homeless and the most vulnerable, in particular mothers and children.

In the context of the current pandemic and in the respect and application of the various regulations and laws in effect, the Board of Directors has decided, on an exceptional basis, that the annual General Shareholders’ Meeting of bioMérieux will be held on June 30, 2020 at 2 p.m. (CET) behind closed doors (i.e., without the physical presence of shareholders and their proxies) at the bioMérieux headquarters.

bioMérieux regrets not having the opportunity to meet its shareholders in person this year, but is applying measures designed to protect the health of everyone. The practical information about voting by mail will be outlined in the meeting notice that will be published by bioMérieux in the French Bulletin of Compulsory Legal Announcements (Bulletin des Annonces Légales Obligatoires) on May 22, 2020, and on the Investors page of the bioMérieux website, www.biomerieux.com, under General Shareholders’ Meeting.