One for the tools: PerkinElmer acquires Evotec

BOSTON—Lookingto fill in its line of equipment focused on cell-based assays, Perkin ElmerInc. announced late last year the acquisition of Evotec AG's subsidiary EvotecTechnologies, a provider of high performance screening instruments and analysissoftware. Value of the cash transaction was pegged at EUR 23 million, withclosing anticipated in the first quarter this year.

"This acquisition if proof the we are serious about PerkinElmer's stated strategy of extending our instrumentation and reagents businessin cell-based assays and that we want to continue to extract more and betterinformation for our customers in the research they do," says Mary Duseau,Perkin Elmer's business unit leader for detection and analysis systems.

While Evotec has provided a number of different tools to themarket, at the core of the deal for Perkin Elmer was the Opera confocal microplate imaging reader and its accompanying image analysis software calledAcapella.

"What really excited us about this deal is Opera occupied aspace in the market where they have best-in-class, high-speed, high-resolutionand the robust analysis package with the Acapella software," Duseau adds. "Ithas a confocal imaging system that utilizes the Yokagawa spinning disktechnology, has multiple excitation and other options. The real difference isthat they occupy the high-throughput space in the high-content world."

Coinciding with the closing of the deal, Hamburg,Germany-based Evotec Technologies' office will convert to a new Perkin ElmerCenter of Excellence for cellular imaging and analysis. While the company hasactively been pursuing increased penetration in the cellular analysis market,Duseau notes that the Evotec acquisition and the strength of its R&Dprogram provided the critical mass necessary to set up such a research center.

"The market leading products for Evotec were one attraction,but another was the people in the Hamburgfacility, so our intention is to continue to operate that facility."

Virtually all of the 75 employees at Evotec are expected tostay on with the Perkin Elmer and Henning Menke will become the site'soperational leader.

For Evotec AG, the sale of its subsidiary to Perkin Elmer isjust the lastest in a series of moves to re-task the company to one whoseefforts are focused squarely on drug discovery and development. "This transaction is another milestone in our strategyto focus Evotec on its drug discovery and development business. Together withthe sale of certain technology assets of Evotec Technologies to Olympusearlier in the year, the combined divestments value Evotec Technologies atapproximately EUR 30 million. The cash proceeds will provide us with additionalflexibility to progress and expand our Central Nervous System pipeline," saysJoern Aldag, CEO of Evotec AG "Evotec Technologies has grown into a position ofstrength. To bring the company to the next level of its development, apartnership with a global provider of instrumentation and consumables became paramount.We believe that PerkinElmer is best positioned to leverage Evotec Technologies'full potential."