Baxter to acquire dialysis product company Gambro

Renal specialist Gambro is to be acquired by Baxter International.

Baxter International has agreed to acquire Gambro AB in a deal worth approximately $4 billion.

Swedish outfit Gambro is a privately held dialysis product company that focuses on the development, manufacture and supply of products and therapies for patients with acute or chronic kidney disease.

Baxter will gain Gambro's comprehensive dialysis product portfolio, enhancing its own line of renal therapies.

Robert Parkinson, chairman and chief executive officer of Baxter, said the transaction would provide attractive returns.

"'Baxter has a legacy of innovation in dialysis, including the development of peritoneal dialysis for the treatment of end-stage kidney disease patients in the home," he revealed.

"This acquisition further strengthens our global dialysis offerings by extending our portfolio in the hemodialysis segment."

Gambro's products include advanced monitors, dialysers, bloodlines, cyclers and dialysis solutions for chronic kidney disease, as well as continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and treatment for fluid overload in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury.

The company's president and chief executive officer, Guido Oelkers, said the acquisition would result in a "comprehensive dialysis offering of proven products and therapies".