News

The world leader in serving science Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a manufacturer and global distributor of enzymes, reagents and kits for molecular and cellular biology research - the Lithuanian Fermentas for $260 million.

With headquarters in Burlington, Ontario, and principal operations in Vilnius, Lithuania, Fermentas has approximately 500 employees. The company had full-year revenues of approximately $54 million. Fermentas provides a broad range of high-quality molecular and cellular biology research tools, including reagents for nucleic-acid and protein purification; restriction and modifying enzymes; molecular weight markers and other life science research and diagnostic tools. The company also offers a variety of products for polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), which will strengthen Thermo Fisher’s existing PCR portfolio.

“With Fermentas, we are better-positioned to meet the demands of molecular and cell biologists for complete workflows that can accelerate their research and improve results,” said Marc N. Casper, President and CEO of Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Dr. Viktoras Butkus, Chairman and CEO of Fermentas, said, “We are extremely pleased with the organization we have created at Fermentas and are proud of our consistent track record of delivering high-quality molecular biology products with compelling value for our customers. Thermo Fisher Scientific is the global leader in the life sciences industry, and joining such a highly respected company will create many attractive opportunities for our customers and employees.”

Fermentas will be integrated into Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Analytical Technologies Segment. The transaction, which is subject to applicable regulatory approvals, is expected to close during the third quarter of 2010.