Third quarter IBO Life Science Index sales grew 7.0% on a reported and currency-neutral basis, to $3,581 million. Operating profit climbed 12.7% to $762 million. Index results were elevated by Illumina’s performance but partially offset by Bruker. Excluding these two companies, organic sales and adjusted operating profit grew 5.4% and 6.7%, respectively. Based on continuing operations, operating margin advanced 90 basis points to 20.5% of sales.

Fiscal fourth quarter revenue for Becton, Dickinson’s BD Biosciences division grew 0.2%, 0.1% excluding currency, to $301 million to make up 14% of company sales. Growth was negatively impacted by strong International sales in the previous year, which benefited from research funding in Japan and timing of orders in Western Europe. International sales slipped 1.7% excluding currency to account for 68% of segment sales. US sales improved 4.4% to account for 32% of segment revenues, driven by demand for instruments and reagents. Segment adjusted operating income advanced 8.0% to $81 million.

Fiscal 2014 sales for BD Biosciences grew 5.2%, 5.5% excluding currency, to $1,159 million to account for 14% of sales. Growth was driven by demand for high-end instrumentation in Asia and the US, strong clinical-reagent sales across all regions and double-digit sales growth in emerging markets. Excluding currency, International and US sales rose 6.5% and 3.5% to represent 68% and 32% of segment sales, respectively. Gross margin declined slightly due to unfavorable pricing and currency. Adjusted operating income grew 11.5% to $300 million due to completed restructuring activities. For fiscal 2015, BD Biosciences’ revenue is expected to grow 4.5%–5.0% on a currency-neutral basis.

Biotage’s third quarter sales grew 14.6%, 7.2% excluding currency, to SEK 118.5 million ($17.1 million = SEK 6.95 = $1) (see page 12), led by demand for purification and sample preparation products. Overall, instrumentation, and combined service and consumables sales, represented 45% and 55% of revenues, respectively. Sales in the US, EU, China and Rest of World advanced to account for 43%, 35%, 5% and 6% of revenues, respectively. Japanese sales declined to account for 11%. Despite a higher percentage of instrumentation revenue, gross margin improved 10 basis points to 54.6% of sales due to currency. Adjusted operating profit expanded 18.7% to SEK 10.0 million ($1.4 million), as higher sales volume and currency offset increased distribution and R&D costs. Fourth quarter revenues are expected to benefit from several large Industrial Resins orders received during the quarter.

Fluidigm third quarter sales jumped 62.1%, 35.3% excluding the acquisition of DVS Sciences (see IBO 1/31/14), to $29.6 million. Consumables sales soared 63.8%, 48% organically, to account for 44% of revenues. Organic consumables sales, which included similar growth for production-genomics and single-cell genomics applications, were driven by demand for Integrated Fluidic Circuits as well as higher sales of reagents and assays. Instrument sales grew 63.9%, 29% organically, to account for 60% of revenues. C1 Single-Cell Auto Prep system placements were strong, and roughly 25% of units sold were combined with a BioMark HD system. The company shipped 83 systems during the quarter, including 46 preparatory systems and 37 analytical systems. License revenues were negligible. Including the acquisition, sales in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific grew 64.7%, 103.9% and 211.3% to account for 57%, 27% and 9% of revenues, respectively. Japanese sales fell 63.4% to make up 3%. Sales in Other countries grew 143.7% to account for 4%. Adjusted Product gross margin slipped 62 basis points to 72.0% of sales due to product mix. Adjusted operating loss more than doubled to $9.1 million as a result of higher operating expenses. Fluidigm raised the bottom range of its 2014 organic sales-growth outlook by $1 million to $95–$96 million for growth of 33%–35%. However, it narrowed its full-year revenue outlook for DVS Sciences from $18–$22 million to $19–$21 million.

Third quarter sales for Luminex’s Technology and Strategic Partnerships (TSP) segment declined 2.1% to $32.6 million to account for 58% of sales. Growth was confined to Royalty and Service revenues, which grew 7.6% and 3.9% to make up 30% and 7% of TSP sales, respectively. Royalty revenue from diagnostic and life science–research partners accounted for 74% and 26% of revenue, respectively. Consumable and System revenues fell 8.0% and 3.3% to represent 36% and 22% of TSP sales, respectively. Consumables sales were negatively impacted by customer bulk orders due to inventory management. Other revenue contracted 9.8% to account for 5% because of lower grant revenue and license fees. The company shipped 257 multiplexing systems within TSP, or 269 systems including the Assays and Related Products segment, compared with 280 systems in the previous year, of which all were recorded within the TSP segment. For the TSP segment, placements of MAGPIX systems declined 12% to 119 units. LX systems placements also declined, while sales of FLEXMAP 3D systems improved. TSP gross profit margin expanded 211 basis points to 65.8% due to higher royalty revenues. Segment operating profit fell 5.4% to $8.8 million due to higher incentive compensation expenses. Luminex reduced the top range of its 2014 total sales outlook by $12 million to $225–$240 million as a result of softer instrument and consumables demand, product delays from both the company and partners, and lower government funding.

Excluding Royalty payments, third quarter sales for Merck Millipore grew 3.4% to €660.8 million ($881.1 million = €0.75 = $1) to make up 23% of sales. Organic sales grew 4.5% excluding currency headwinds of 0.1% and a divested business (see IBO 1/15/14), which lowered sales growth 1.0%. Process Solutions sales grew 10.5% organically to account for 45% of Millipore revenue, driven by purification and single-use products for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, especially in North America and Europe. Despite lower demand for lab chemicals in Europe, Lab Solutions sales improved 0.2% organically to account for 41% of segment revenue due to higher sales of water-purification solutions, particularly in Latin America. Bioscience sales slipped 0.3% organically to make up 15% as a result of lower health care spending in the US and weak antibody demand in Europe and the US. This was partially offset by demand for cell-analysis products from diagnostic labs. Total organic sales to Europe, North America and Emerging Markets grew 3.2%, 8.3% and 2.8% to account for 38%, 28% and 25% of Millipore sales, respectively. Rest of the World sales grew 3.8% organically. Gross profit margin fell 170 basis points to 56.3% of segment sales due to product mix. Adjusted operating profit expanded 2.9% to €132.6 million ($176.8 million).