Instead, the regulators approved a plan for 200 such points, to be available by the year 2000.
The companies expect regulators to approve the deal within a year.
Now that the companies are hurt by competition, regulators would probably approve a deal.
That plan will probably go through, assuming various regulators approve.
The current betting is that regulators will approve the deal in the next few weeks.
If regulators approve the changes, he added, "we would need this authority to do that."
If regulators approve, the new company would be the world's largest drug maker.
French regulators approved the structure of the original deal on Tuesday.
Eventually the system could be offered nationwide if Federal regulators approve.
Regulators must approve the agreement before the transaction is closed.