DENTSPLY International, a developer and manufacturer of dental implants, customized implant abutments and consumable medical devices in the urology and surgery market segments, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Astra Tech, a subsidiary of AstraZeneca, for $1.8bn.

Astra Tech operates through two divisions – Astra Tech Dental and Astra Tech Healthcare.

Astra Tech Dental’s Atlantis business offers a portfolio of clinically supported dental implants and CAD/CAM customized implant abutments.

The combination of Atlantis’ CAD/CAM offering with DENTSPLY’s global digital dentistry platform positions the company to capitalize on and accelerate the market’s shift to digital solutions.

Astra Tech Healthcare’s European hydrophilic intermittent catheter business leverages DENTSPLY’s core competencies and provides a new growth opportunity within the broader consumable medical device markets.

DENTSPLY chairman and CEO Bret Wise said the urology and surgery business and management team of Astra Tech provides them with additional growth opportunities within the medical devices category with a position and a pipeline of new products.

"We look forward to welcome our new associates and together we will continue to focus on bringing clinically supported opportunities to dental, urology and surgical professionals," Wise said.