Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ) to acquire the Analytical Technologies division of MDS, which includes a 50% ownership position in Applied Biosystems/MDS Sciex joint venture ("AB SCIEX"), a mass spectrometry business, and a 100% ownership position in the former Molecular Devices Corporation, a bioresearch and analytical instrumentation company. In a separate, but related transaction, Danaher also announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with Life Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: LIFE) to acquire the remaining 50% ownership position in AB SCIEX. After completion of both transactions, Danaher will own outright AB SCIEX and Molecular Devices. The aggregate purchase price for the combined transactions is $1.1 billion, including debt assumed and net of cash acquired.
AB SCIEX is a leading designer and manufacturer of mass spectrometers, highly sensitive and sophisticated instruments used by researchers and clinicians to identify and quantify specific molecules in complex samples. AB SCIEX sells into the research, applied and clinical markets. Typical applications include proteomics research, drug development, food and environmental safety testing and diagnostics testing. Customers include academic and research institutions, pharmaceutical development labs primarily supporting clinical trials, testing and reference labs and hospitals. Molecular Devices supplies high-performance bio-analytical instrumentation systems and consumables that accelerate and improve research productivity and effectiveness in life science research and drug discovery.