Thermo and Life

The pending merger (see IBO 4/15/13) will create an industry behemoth and creates new challenges for competitors, such as those in the lab distribution market. It also will provide Thermo with a commanding position as a supplier to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for both instruments and consumables. The integration process will be closely watched by investors as well as competitors.

Agilent on Its Own

Agilent Technologies’ instrument business will become its own company this fiscal year (see IBO 9/30/13), seeking to capitalize on the revenue growth that has been a financial highlight in recent years. This plan comes only a year after Agilent entered the diagnostics market and follows its steady growth in life science markets. How the company capitalizes on the change could determine its prospects for years to come.

Illumina Invests in Diagnostics

Besides upping Illumina’s presence in the molecular diagnostics market, the firm’s acquisition of Verinata Health (see IBO 1/15/13) also positions Illumina as both the supplier of sequencing systems for non-invasive prenatal testing as well as a provider of the tests themselves. It reinforces the company’s commitment to the reproductive health market, creating a major player in the sector.

Roche Disbands Applied Science

Roche restructured its research products business last year (see IBO 4/30/13), divesting parts of its NimbleGen subsidiary and closing down 454 Life Sciences (see IBO 10/31/13). Roche remains a force in the PCR and life science reagents business but is now less focused on instrumentation. The divestment of 454 marks the exit of the third-largest maker of next generation sequencing systems from the market.

Endress+Hauser Enters Lab Instrument Market

A longtime competitor in the process analysis market, Endress+Hauser entered the lab instrument market last year with the purchase of a controlling share in Analytik Jena (see IBO 9/30/13). Endress+Hauser’s investment in the firm indicates its desire to build a laboratory instrument business. Endress+Hauser’s established presence in industrial markets could facilitate this.