(Adds Canada approving deal, details on divestitures,background on three-way deal)
WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Novartis AG has wonU.S. antitrust approval to buy GlaxoSmithKline's oncology drugs, with conditions, the U.S. Federal TradeCommission said on Monday.
Canada's competition agency also said on Monday that itwould allow the deal to go forward.
To win U.S. approval for the $16 billion deal, Novartisagreed to divest assets related to its BRAF and MEK inhibitordrugs, now in development to fight melanoma, the FTC said.
The deal is one of three related transactions announced inApril 2014 in which GlaxoSmithKline would buy Novartis' globalvaccine business, except for flu vaccines, Novartis would buyGlaxo's cancer drugs and the two companies would combine tocreate a consumer healthcare business.
With Monday's approval, the FTC has given the green light toall three portions of the deal.
Array BioPharma Inc, which is based in Colorado,has agreed to purchase the inhibitor drugs, the U.S. agencysaid.
The FTC said the divestiture was needed because Glaxo andNovartis were among a small number of companies that sell or aredeveloping the inhibitors. (Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and DanGrebler)
Glaxosmithkline (GSK)
