Sartorius buys its PAT and QbD software partner for $72.5m

By Dan Stanton

- Last updated on GMT

iStock/monsitj
iStock/monsitj

Related tags Cell biology Sartorius

A new month and a new acquisition for Sartorius which has bought its biomanufacturing data analytics software partner for $72.5m (€68m).

The Goettingen, Germany-headquartered bioprocessing equipment firm announced today it has acquired Sweden’s MKS Instruments AB (formerly known as Umetrics) through its single-use technology and services division Sartorius Stedim Biotech.

The company paid $72.5m for MKS Instruments which is expected to generate $15m in revenues this year through sales of its suite of software solutions for process analytical technology (PAT) and quality by design (QbD).

Sartorius has used Umetrics software for around five years, but the acquisition ties in with the firm’s long-term vocal support​ of a QbD approach by its biopharma customers, something it reiterated earlier this year in a press release​.

The deal is also the latest in a long run of M&A activity by Sartorius, coming almost a month to the day it announced its intentions to buy bioanalytical firm Essen BioScience for $320m – a deal which has now been completed after the firm received antitrust clearance.

In the past few years, Sartorius has spent $90m on cell analysis firm IntelliCyt​, $16m on virus counting tech firm ViroCyt​, $45m on fermentation tech firm TAP Biosystems​, and acquired bioanalytical CRO BioOutsource, and cell line and process development firm Cellca for undisclosed amounts.

Cell counting tech

And in related news, SSB – through its newly acquired division Essen BioScience – has launched the IncuCyte S3 live-cell analysis platform for real-time, automated measurements of cell health, proliferation, movement and function directly inside a standard incubator.

“The IncuCyte S3 platform represents a transformative approach to live-cell analysis, enabling researchers to conceive of and execute experiments that were not previously thought possible and answer new types of questions,” the division’s president and CEO Brett Williams said in a statement.

“We initially launched this ground-breaking platform in 2006 and the impact is obvious. We are gratified to see our approach to live-cell analysis cited in more than 1000 peer-reviewed publications for applications across many research and therapeutic areas including immuno-oncology, immunology, neuroscience and stem cell biology.”

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