BioMérieux and Sema4 Complete Strategic Acquisitions
Two of the biggest merger and acquisition-related deals that came down in May involved BioMérieux and Sema4
![Closeup of lab worker typing on computer with DNA illustration overlay to represent diagnostics market](https://www.g2intelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/June22.LIR_.MandA-iStock-1800x1250-1.jpg)
Although diagnostic merger and acquisition (M&A) deal values remain relatively low, volume picked up noticeably this month. Here’s a summary of the two biggest deals that came down in May.
BioMérieux Acquires Specific Diagnostics for $416.8 Million
On May 18, BioMérieux finalized its acquisition of Specific Diagnostics for approximately $416.8 million, equivalent to 3.2 percent of the French diagnostic firm’s market capitalization as of closing date, paying with a combination of cash and shares issued to Specific Diagnostics shareholders.
Acquiring Specific Diagnostics, a private-held US company and its Specific Reveal Rapid AST system, a rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) system that delivers phenotypic AST results directly from positive blood cultures, enhances BioMérieux’s global position in clinical microbiology. The Specific system seamlessly integrates with BioMérieux’s own Sepsis Solution, enabling it to generate same-day AST results from Gram-negative bacteria, according to BioMérieux.
“By combining the advanced technology of the Specific Reveal Rapid AST solution for bloodstream infections with our existing solutions, we are increasing the ability of laboratories to deliver results in record time, especially in cases of very critical infections such as sepsis, which require urgent and appropriate treatment,” noted BioMérieux executive VP and chief medical officer Mark Miller in a statement.
Sema4 Acquires GeneDx for $623 Million
On May 2, Sema4 announced that it has closed its $623 million acquisition of GeneDx from Opko Health. In addition to $150 million in cash, Opko received 80 million shares of Sema4 stock, valued at $323 million. It will also get up to $150 million in revenue-based milestone payments over the next two years.
Founded by a pair of National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists in 2000, GeneDx is a genetic testing company specializing in rare and ultra-rare disorders. The acquisition enables Sema4 to offer precision testing for a broader range of diseases.
By divesting GeneDx, a firm it picked up in its 2015 acquisition of BioReference Laboratories in 2015, Opko Health is basically shutting down day-to-day activity in the molecular diagnostics space to focus on pharma development and its remaining BioReference-branded diagnostics assets.
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Here’s a summary of the key new M&A diagnostic deals that were announced and/or closed in May 2022:
Mergers, Acquisitions, & Asset Sales
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