News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel

News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel
Sign In

Entering the Clinical Laboratory Testing Business: Is it Better to Buy or to Build?

For two decades, popular wisdom says “buy,’ but several entrepreneurs succeeded by building a brand new clinical lab company

Over the past 15 years, there have been few examples of pathologists and medical laboratory executives willing to start up a new clinical laboratory company from scratch. The popular wisdom says that this is a next-to-impossible task. The same popular wisdom says that buying an existing clinical laboratory company is the best way for entrepreneurs and new investors to enter the clinical lab testing marketplace.

In part, this explains why, since the mid-1990s, there are relatively few examples of a brand new lab company entering market with the goal of serving office-based physicians. It also explains why the majority of lab entrepreneurs and investors follow the business strategy of acquiring an existing laboratory company as their entré into the market. They then use this acquired lab company as the platform to grow. (more…)

Thermo Fisher Trumped by Merck KGaA’s $7.2 Billion Bid to Acquire Millipore

Clinical Pathology Laboratory Customers of Millipore Not Likely to See Many Changes

It only took a few days for Millipore Corporation (NYSE: MIL) to find a buyer willing to outbid Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO). Millipore agreed to be acquired by Merck KGaA (FWB: MRK) of Darmstadt, Germany. Merck will pay about $7.2 billion for Millipore, which tops a reported bid of $6 billion made by Thermo Fisher last week.

Because many clinical pathology laboratories use Millipore’s water purification systems and other products, the pending acquisition of Millipore by Merck represents more consolidation among vendors serving the clinical laboratory industry. The acquisition is expected to close during the second half of 2010.
(more…)

Sonic Healthcare Enters New England with Latest Clinical Laboratory Acquisition

Agreement to acquire East Side Clinical Laboratory is a reminder that Sonic remains an active buyer of clinical laboratories

It’s another clinical lab acquisition and a new regional market for Sonic Healthcare Limited (ASX:SHL). Yesterday the Australian-based lab company established a beachhead in New England when it acquired East Side Clinical Laboratory, based in Providence, Rhode Island.

(more…)

;