Agilent Technologies has agreed to acquire Belgium-based diagnostics company Multiplicom for about €68m.
Based in Niel, Multiplicon was established in 2011 as a spin-off from the Belgium’s University of Antwerp and Flanders Institute of Biotechnology (VIB).
The company is engaged in the development, manufacture and commercialization of molecular-diagnostic solutions, including an advanced technology and products.
Multiplicom secured CE-IVD status for the BRCA MASTR Dx assay for breast and ovarian cancer predisposition in 2012.
The company's solutions will allow clinical labs to identify the DNA variants that are associated with a genetic disease or predisposition in patients, as well as helps in determining cancer therapy or identify congenital defects early in pregnancy.
Subject to local laws and regulations and customary closing conditions, the deal is expected to complete in mid-January.
Agilent's genomics division general manager and vice president Herman Verrelst said: "The acquisition of Multiplicom significantly strengthens our presence in the genomics market.
"Multiplicom's products and technology help expand our target-enrichment portfolio and enhance our next-generation sequencing workflow capabilities – providing immediate scale in adjacent markets.”
Multiplicom's CEO Dirk Pollet said: "Multiplicom is excited to be a part of Agilent and for the opportunity to offer our products and technology to a global customer base.”
With operations in around 100 countries, Agilent provides instruments, software, services and consumables to the sciences, diagnostics and applied chemical markets.