Two magnetic separations portfolios for the life sciences will come under the same roof as fast-growing Abcam acquires American diagnostics company BioVision for $340 million. Abcam announced the proposed acquisition in August, closely following its unveiling of plans to open a major new site in Massachusetts for its expanding operations in North America and coming a year after an earlier acquisition that also bolstered its magnetic separations products.
BioVision is a fast-growing innovator and distributor of life science research tools to biopharma, diagnostic and academic customers with strength in biochemical and cell-based assay kits and currently a third-party supplier to Abcam. Founded in 1999 and located in Milpitas, California, BioVision is a global supplier of life science research tools to support research, diagnostics, and drug discovery. The company provides biochemical and cell-based assays for biological research. It also develops, produces, and sells a wide portfolio of other products including recombinant proteins, antibodies, enzymes, and biochemical compounds.
As with Abcam, among its offerings are an extensive portfolio of magnetic separations products including specialized equipment and magnetic particle diagnostics kits. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese pharmaceutical company Boai NKY Medical Holdings Ltd. (“NKY”), with which Abcam is also collaborating on a new strategic partnership concurrent with the acquisition.
New 100,000 sq ft facility in Massachusetts
Meanwhile, Abcam has announced a major expansion to its operations in Massachusetts with a new facility at Waltham that will be a central component for further grown in the United States. The 100,000 sq-ft site will increase the company’s flexibility, scale, and capacity in R&D, production, distribution, and customer service of reagents to support research in the life sciences that underpin the rapid development of diagnostics, vaccines, and potential therapeutics.
Alan Hirzel, Abcam CEO
“Abcam’s first step toward global expansion was in 2003 at Kendall Square,” noted Alan Hirzel, CEO. “Since then, the US has become our largest market. Investing in and expanding our presence in the vibrant Greater Boston cluster is another step in our journey to support biopharma partners and life sciences researchers globally.”
The 100,000 sq-ft site will increase the Company’s flexibility, scale, and capacity in R&D, Production, Distribution, and Customer Service required to address the increasing needs of the life sciences sector. The ability to provide critical reagents to support research in all areas of the life sciences is vital to enable scientific breakthroughs that underpin the rapid development of diagnostics, vaccines, and potential therapeutics.
Last year, Abcam also bolstered its magnetics analysis portfolio with the acquisition of the proteomics and immunology business of Expedeon, based in Germany, for €120 million. For more info, see www.abcam.com.
