Qiagen launches bid to acquire Exiqon

Qiagen has launched a bid to acquire fellow life science company Exiqon in a deal worth around $100 million (69.62 million pounds).

A conditional voluntary takeover offer has been submitted to the shareholders of Exiqon to purchase all shares in the company, which is headquartered in Denmark and employs around 100 people worldwide.

The acquisition is expected to expand Qiagen's leading position in the field of sample-to-insight solutions for RNA analysis, as Exiqon is a prominent player in the emerging market for non-coding RNA.

Functionally important molecules such as microRNA and long non-coding RNA have shown substantial promise in cellular function and regulation, making them a potentially promising field for research.

The company said: "In addition to products spanning sample technologies, assay technologies and bioinformatics solutions, Exiqon brings to Qiagen a portfolio of proprietary technologies and know-how used in molecular testing, including relevant locked nucleic acid technology."

Qiagen has forecast a net sales growth of around six percent in 2016, with adjusted earnings expected to rise at around the same pace.