Roche announces NimbleGen acquisition

Roche, the Switzerland-based research healthcare group, has announced the 100 per cent acquisition of NimbleGen, a DNA microarrays, consumables, instruments and services company.

The US-based microarrays company will be bought for the sum of $272.5 million, paid to the NimbleGen shareholders, Roche said in a statement, a move that will see Roche’s position in the genomics research market strengthened.

“This acquisition represents a further milestone in our strategy to strengthen our position as a major player and complete solution provider in the genomics research market by extending our activities into the microarray segment,” said Severin Schwan, chief executive officer, division Roche diagnostics.

Mr Schwan added that the NimbleGen array systems are “highly synergistic” as well as being complimentary to the existing Roche portfolio of technologies in the genomic research area.

Roche has said NimbleGen will continue to develop and market array systems, albeit under the Roche Applied Science business area.

The Swiss company has recently returned from the European League Against Rheumatism congress in Spain, where it presented positive results from a study of Actemra use.