Stockholm, Sweden 12/4/18; San Jose, CA 12/4/18—Separations technology provider Biotage has agreed to acquire PhyNexus for $21.5 million in cash and stock. Based in California with 2017 sales of $3.1 million, PhyNexus supplies Dual Flow Chromatography tip technology for automated biomolecular purification. Annual EBIT was -$0.1 million. “The acquisition of PhyNexus is in line with our strategy to grow our separation business through expansion into new application areas,” explained Biotage CEO Torben Jörgensen. “This transaction enables PhyNexus’ products to reach a larger global market through Biotage’s direct sales organization, at the same time as Biotage obtains access to customers in industries where Biotage historically has not been as active.” PhyNexus has 14 employees. The purchase is expected to be completed in January 2019.

As Mr. Jörgensen told IBO, the industries in which Biotage has not been active that the acquisition addresses are CROs using lab-scale purification of biomolecules and biomolecules in general. Asked about the barriers to greater adoption of Dual Flow technology, he stated it was global access, which Biotage can now provide. Biotage will also invest in automation to grow product access. Purification of plasmids and antibodies are the most widely used applications for PhyNexus technology, according to him.

PhyNexus’ pipette tip chromatography fits with Biotage’s portfolio of separation products, which includes SPE and SLE. Designed for bulk purification and sample sizes as small as 5 µL, PhyNexus’ Dual Flow Chromatography provides an alternative to spin columns and magnetic bead techniques.