If the two companies combined, that percentage would drop to one in four, or 25 percent.

The two companies, he said, would combine distribution to save money.

The idea is that the two companies can combine sales forces, thus reaching more doctors with word of their drugs.

But the trend is the other way, with more companies, especially big ones, combining the two positions.

The former company combined with the latter for a time in 1613.

The two companies combined on 1 January to form one of the world's biggest publishing groups.

But like the others, the new company would combine enough operations to cut the staff, in this case to 30,500 from 34,500.

Rorer said the new company would have combined 1989 sales of $3 billion.

The new company, 120 members strong, combines the ballet companies of the three opera houses.

The two companies had combined 1994 operating revenues of $9.54 billion.