Roche buys cell analysis company in $19M deal

Roche AG is scooping up Germany's Innovatis AG--which works in the cellular analytics field--for slightly more than $19 million. While the buyout involves just pocket change compared to Roche's $46 billion acquisition of Genentech, the deal highlights the pharma giant's continuing interest in buying up new technology to rapidly expand its diagnostics division.

"This acquisition is a further step in our strategy to strengthen our position as a complete solution provider in the cell analysis research market," said Dr. Jürgen Schwiezer, CEO of Roche Diagnostics. "Innovatis' technology will complement the existing Roche cell analysis portfolio and is synergistic to the xCELLigence technology launched in 2008."

Innovatis focuses on  cell counting, viability testing and cell function analysis in research, as well as bioproduction. Roche will make Innovatis part of its diagnostic division, Roche Applied Science.

- check out the Roche release for more info
- read the RTTNews take