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| Marc N. Casper |
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, Mass, has agreed to acquire Life Technologies Corp, Carlsbad, Calif, for approximately $13.6 billion, a transaction that raises Thermo’s profile as a key player in the realm of genetic testing.
Clinical labs have long relied on everything from Thermo’s instruments, equipment, LIMS, software, informatics, reagents, consumables, and lab operational support to its sophisticated mass spec systems.
[Read “Breakthrough Personalized Cancer Care Technology” page 12.]
Combining forces builds on both companies’ technological strengths to accelerate results for life sciences customers working in proteomics, genomics, and cell biology.
“We are extremely excited about this transaction because it creates the ultimate partner for our customers and significant value for our shareholders,” says Marc N. Casper, president and CEO, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “The acquisition of Life Technologies enhances all three elements of our growth strategy: technological innovation, a unique customer value proposition, and expansion in emerging markets.
“This transaction brings together two companies intent on accelerating innovation for our customers and achieving greater success in a highly competitive global industry,” says Gregory T. Lucier, chairman and CEO, Life Technologies.
Click here to read Reuters’ accout of the transaction, which includes background germane to this move, and sets the stage with Roche’s recent unsuccessful bid for Life competitor, Illumina.
Life has an extensive offering of consumables for genomics, and molecular and cell biology, and is well-known for its next-generation sequencing capability. Combined with Thermo’s offerings in analytical technologies and specialty diagnostics, the new synergy is expected to create opportunities to support the convergence of life sciences tools and diagnostics–helping pave the way for greater adoption of personalized medicine.
Mark P. Stevenson, Life Technologies’ president and COO, is expected to have a significant leadership role in the combined company, and Thermo Fisher intends to elect a member of the Life Technologies board of directors to the Thermo Fisher board.
[Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific]
| CLP’s Febuary 2013 issue features an interview with Ronnie Andrews, president of medical sciences, Life Technologies.
In INSIDE TRACK “Life Technologies on the Move”: Andrews discusses Life’s strategic acquisitional path and foray into diagnostics, its Ion PGM (Personal Genome Machine™), and the company’s lung cancer product line. In an accompayning video, David Jablons, MD, professor in residence, department of surgery, and chief of thoracic surgery, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), provides background on the lung cancer assay Andrews discusses in Inside Track. Below find a recap of some of Life Technologies’ recent partnerships and acquisitions:
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