Agilent to divest Varian product lines to Bruker

Agilent Technologies is to divest a number of product lines from its newly-acquired subsidiary Varian to the scientific instruments company Bruker.

Varian business units specialising in gas chromatography (GC) triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry, laboratory GC instruments and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry will be acquired by Bruke shortly after Agilent completes its takeover at the end of April.

This divesture was previously agreed by Agilent as part of the process of obtaining regulatory approval from its Varian buyout.

In addition to this, the two companies have also outlined plans to enter a transitional services agreement in order to keep the businesses operating uninterrupted during the takeover process.

Bill Sullivan, Agilent president and chief executive officer, said: “While we would have liked to have been able to keep all of these businesses, we are pleased that they will be operated under the strength of Bruker’s leadership.”

The science company reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2010 last month, noting a year-on-year increase in revenues.