Sartorius closes acquisition of selected assets of Danaher Life Sciences

The addition of various laboratory and bioprocessing technologies will support customers to develop biotech medicines and vaccines.

The businesses acquired by Sartorius cover various laboratory and bioprocessing technologies, which are complementary to the portfolio lineups of both Sartorius divisions. The company’s broader offering as a result of the acquisition will support customers even more comprehensively to develop biotech medicines and vaccines, as well as safely and efficiently produce such pharmaceuticals. Sartorius is thus extending its market position in bioanalytics as well as in key areas of the manufacture of biotech medications.

The FortéBio business for label-free biomolecular characterization includes innovative protein analysis instruments, biosensors and reagents that are used in drug discovery and will be integrated into the Bioanalytics unit within the Sartorius Lab Products & Services Division.

The products are based on patented biolayer interferometry technology and perform real-time analysis of various biomolecular interactions. FortéBio employs approximately 200 people worldwide and has production sites in the US and China.

With the chromatography systems and resins business also acquired, Sartorius is expanding the portfolio of its Bioprocess Solutions Division in the downstream processing area. This business addresses an essential step in purifying biopharmaceuticals and encompasses both reusable and single-use equipment, columns and resins.

Furthermore, selected product groups in stainless steel hollow fiber and single-use technology tangential flow filtration systems and single-use flow kits will additionally strengthen the division’s portfolio lineup in downstream processing.

A further asset to be allocated to the Bioprocess Solutions Division is the SoloHill business covering microcarrier technology and particle validation standards used in cell cultures and other bioprocesses. Together, these various business entities employ approximately 100 people at their sites in the UK and US.

Sartorius paid a purchase price of US$825 million for the acquisition and has been preparing for the integration of the acquired businesses into the two divisions of the Sartorius Group. Despite the special conditions prevailing during the pandemic crisis, integration can be initiated immediately.