Quest Diagnostics Buys a Fresenius Lab

Quest Diagnostics Buys a Fresenius Lab

Deal volume in the Laboratories, MRI & Dialysis sector is up 6% from this time last year. On September 28, two major players in the laboratory space traded hands and began collaborating on a kidney disease project. Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), a leading provider of diagnostic testing in the United States, announced its purchase of Shiel Medical Laboratory, Inc. from Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE: FMS). Fresenius acquired Shiel Medical Laboratory in October 2013 via its subsidiary Spectra Labs, which is not affected by the divestiture. Founded in 1919, Shiel Medical is one of the oldest continuously operating clinical laboratories in the United States. Its main testing facility is in... Read More »

Fresenius Banks on Dialysis at Home

Fresenius, a global leader in dialysis, brings dialysis into the home with a $2 billion deal. As hospitals and other providers face mounting pressure to deliver high-quality, lower cost services, one company has taken the initiative to become a world-leader in at-home critical care. On August 7, 2017, Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE: FMS) acquired NxStage Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXTM) for $2.0 billion. Fresenius Medical Care will acquire all outstanding shares of NxStage for $30.00 per common share, valuing the deal at approximately $2.0 billion, including $1.24 million of debt. Multiples work out to 5.11x revenue and 7.97x EBITDA. Based in Boston, NxStage Medical develops, manufactures, and... Read More »

Invitae Adds Reproductive Health Diagnostics

Just a month ago, we reported on molecular-diagnostics firm Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), and its interest in the eHealth sector, following the acquisition of two digital health companies. In July, the company set its sights on other laboratory companies and announced two more acquisitions. Invitae also separately announced that it will sell $73.5 million of its stock through a private placement to be led by existing investors with “significant” participation from multiple new investors, all unnamed. Invitae is one of the fastest growing genetic information companies in the United States, whose longer-term strategy is to aggregate most of the world’s genetic tests into a single service with... Read More »
Alere Spins Off Assets to Aid Abbott Merger

Alere Spins Off Assets to Aid Abbott Merger

Since February 2016, we’ve followed the testy merger between Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and Alere’s (NYSE: ALR) agreement to merge, followed by the respective lawsuits, and then the price renegotiation. Half way through 2017, the $5.3 billion deal is getting closer to completion, as Alere spins off some assets to comply with antitrust regulations. The first to go is Alere’s Triage® MeterPro cardiovascular (CV) and toxicology assets (“Triage business”), together with the B-type Naturietic Peptide (BNP) assay business run on Beckman Coulter analyzers (“BNP business”). The buyer is  Quidel Corporation (NASDAQ: QDEL), which will acquire the Triage business, including real estate for the San... Read More »

Health Care Deal Volume Slows in Q2:2017, As Dollar Volume Rises

Health care merger and acquisition activity slowed in the second quarter of 2017. Compared with the first quarter of 2017, deal volume decreased 15%, to 366 transactions. Deal volume was also lower compared with the same quarter the year before, down 14%. Combined spending in the second quarter reached $95.8 billion, an increase of 62% compared with the $59.1 billion spent in the previous quarter, according to HealthCareMandA.com. Second quarter deal value was up 8% compared with the $88.7 billion spent in Q2:16. Health care services transactions accounted for 52% of the second quarter’s dollar volume, much higher than the 14% share reported in the first quarter, and the 19% share recorded... Read More »
June 2017 Deal Volume Shows Continued Strength

June 2017 Deal Volume Shows Continued Strength

Preliminary data for the month of June shows that investors are still bullish—or at least comfortable—betting on health care. Some 123 transactions were announced last month, an 11% decrease compared with May’s 138 transactions. Year over year, however, this early data is just 5% below the 130 deals announced in June 2016. For a little perspective, April 2017’s deal volume was just 104 transactions, which made the May numbers look very strong by comparison. June’s deal volume looks reassuringly healthy, as it is close to the year-ago total, and could be adjusted upward in the future as more deals come to light. The same trends we’ve noted in previous months are still playing out, too. Deal... Read More »