Merck Millipore收购快速细胞成像技术公司Amnis Corporation

  

 默克公司生命科学部——默克密理博今天宣布，公司已经同意收购Amnis公司。 总部设在美国西雅图的Amnis公司开发、制造并推广了高速细胞成像系统，主要用于科研和诊断市场。2010年，Amnis公司已拥有40名员工以及1400万美元(1000万欧元)的市场销售额。据悉，该交易预计在2011年第4季度结束，目前还在等待相关监管部门的批准。至于交易的具体条款没有被披露。

　　默克密理博生物科学业务部门总裁Jonathan DiVincenzo表示：“Amnis公司的技术将使默克密理博立于细胞分析市场的前列。通过与成像流式细胞仪技术的结合，公司产品将获得很大突破，可以满足多个在细胞分析和系统生物学领域的未解需求。现在还没有出现可比性的替代品，通过此次收购，默克密理博公司成为该技术的唯一供应商，可以为我们的客户提供流式细胞仪和图像分析结合于一体的综合解决方案。”

　　DiVincenzo还补充道：“此次收购显著增强了默克密理博的产品组合，流式细胞仪产品将会明显增长。具体来说，该业务将补充默克密理博公司2009年收购的Guava产品范围。随着Amnis的加入，我们将增加一个有颇具才华的员工队伍、强大的知识产权地位等，这将优化我们流式细胞仪的工作流程，为客户的研究成果创造了巨大的价值。”

　　Amnis公司联合创始人兼首席执行官David A. Basiji评价说：“默克密理博与Amnis公司的结合，将大大加快成像流式细胞仪新应用的发展，提高我们的客户支持，并加速产品开发。”同时，Amnis公司联合创始人兼总裁补充道：“我们期待成为德国默克公司的新成员，为追求生命科学研究和临床市场中的发展良机寻求新的可能性。”
默克密理博今天宣布收购美国快速细胞成像技术公司Amnis Corporation。Amnis 的技术应用于流式细胞仪，收购将增强默克密理博在细胞学方面技术的实力，成为唯一一家拥有流式细胞和细胞成像分析两项技术产品的公司。密理博在2009年先后收购Guava和EpiTag，增强流式细胞技术实力。

 

Merck Millipore Strengthens Bioscience Business by acquiring Amnis Corporation

• Acquisition adds world-class cell imaging capabilities in fast growing flow cytometry market

August 30, 2011, Darmstadt, Germany — Merck Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck KGaA* of Germany, today announced it has agreed to acquire Seattle-based Amnis Corporation. Amnis designs, manufactures and markets high speed cell imaging instrumentation. The technology is used in flow cytometry applications in academic, biotech and pharmaceutical cell analysis and research. Amnis has 40 employees and generated sales of 14 million USD in 2010. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and closing is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2011. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Amnis’ technology will put Merck Millipore at the forefront of cell analysis by providing us access to break-through, combined imaging flow cytometry, addressing several unmet needs in the field of cell analysis and systems biology,” said Jonathan DiVincenzo, head of Merck Millipore’s Bioscience business unit. “Today there are no comparable alternatives that enable our customers to combine flow cytometry and image analysis in one integrated solution. With this acquisition, Merck Millipore becomes the only provider of this technology.”

The acquisition significantly enhances Merck Millipore’s product portfolio in the attractive growth segment of flow cytometry. Specifically, the business will complement Merck Millipore’s existing Guava product range, a business Merck Millipore acquired in 2009. “With Amnis we acquire a business with a talented workforce, a strong intellectual property position, and unique know-how which will position us to create tremendous value for our customer’s research outcomes in the flow cytometry workflow” added DiVincenzo.

David A. Basiji, co-founder and CEO of Amnis comments, “The combination of Amnis with Merck Millipore will greatly accelerate development of novel applications in imaging flow cytometry, enhance our customer support, and accelerate product development.” William E. Ortyn, Amnis’ co-founder and President adds, “We look forward to becoming a member of Merck KGaA of Germany and the new possibilities to pursue compelling opportunities in both the life science research and clinical markets.”

About Merck Millipore
Merck Millipore is the Life Science division of Merck KGaA of Germany and offers a broad range of innovative, performance products, services and business relationships that enable our customers' success in research, development and production of biotech and pharmaceutical drug therapies. Through dedicated collaboration on new scientific and engineering insights, and as one of the top three R&D investors in the Life Science Tools industry, Merck Millipore serves as a strategic partner to customers and helps advance the promise of life science. Headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts (USA), the division has around 10,000 employees, operations in 67 countries and 2010 revenues of EUR 1.7 billion.

About Merck
Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with total revenues of EUR 9.3 billion in 2010, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by more than 40,000 employees in 67 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck's operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.