BRUSSELS, Oct 10 (Reuters) - European Union antitrust regulators will decide on U.S. medical device maker Zimmer's $13.4 billion bid for Biomet by March 11, a three-week extension from the previous deadline, the European Commission said on Friday.
The EU executive opened last week an extensive probe into the deal, which would make Zimmer the second-largest seller of orthopaedic products in the world behind Johnson & Johnson .
It voiced concerns on reduced competition in certain medical devices following the takeover. Analysts say Zimmer may counter such worries by selling units where the combined company would have a high market share.
The Commission's new deadline versus a previous Feb. 16 was published on its website. It did not provide details for the move.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Robin Emmott)