Quest Diagnostics to Pay $740 Million to Acquire Athena Diagnostics from Thermo Fisher
It’s a strong price to pay for this specialty clinical pathology laboratory company
Today, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO) announced that it was selling its Athena Diagnostics clinical pathology laboratory business to Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX). The purchase price will be $740 million, making this the highest-priced medical laboratory acquisition of 2011.
Based in Worcester, Massachusetts, Athena Diagnostics is known for its expertise in diagnostic tests for neurological and other diseases. Back in the 1990s, Athena was one of the earliest clinical laboratory companies to build a business around developing proprietary diagnostic tests, then introducing them into the clinical marketplace. Athena Diagnostics currently offers about 350 different assays.
(more…)
