bioMérieux Acquires Accellix to Enhance its Offering in Quality Control of Advanced Therapies
The in vitro diagnostics group bioMérieux announced on Thursday the acquisition of the American company Accellix, which specializes in automated flow cytometry solutions for the quality control of cellular and gene therapies. This move aims to strengthen the French group's pharmaceutical quality control activities in the advanced therapies market.
Innovative Technology for Rapid Results
Accellix has developed a compact flow cytometry platform capable of delivering results in less than 30 minutes, according to the press release. This technology enables real-time quality control during the manufacturing of cellular and gene therapies, thus facilitating compliance with strict regulatory requirements. The American company, which has about 70 employees split between San Jose, California, and Jerusalem, Israel, simplifies complex workflows and reduces analysis times. bioMérieux has been collaborating with Accellix since 2020 and has become the exclusive distributor of its products in the Asia-Pacific region and to certain industry leaders internationally. Cellular and gene therapies utilize living cells or genetic modification to treat diseases previously considered incurable.
Expanding Quality Control Portfolio
With this acquisition, bioMérieux intends to expand its portfolio of solutions for quality control of innovative therapies, the group indicates. The offering now covers the testing of raw material quality, quality during manufacturing, as well as product efficacy and safety. This acquisition complements bioMérieux's existing activities in sterility testing, mycoplasma, endotoxins, and environmental control by adding cellular purity and viability. According to Yasha Mitrotti, Executive Director of Industrial Applications at bioMérieux, the operation positions the group at the forefront of innovation to meet the evolving needs of advanced therapy manufacturers globally. The group thus presents itself as a partner capable of providing automated and scalable quality control tools to pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Financial Details and Global Presence
bioMérieux, which already owned about 10% of Accellix's capital, has acquired the remaining shares for approximately 35 million euros in cash, the press release specifies. Deloitte Ltd. served as financial advisor, while Mayer Brown LLP and Herzog Fox & Neeman provided legal counsel for bioMérieux. On the side of Accellix, TD Cowen served as financial advisor, and Cooley LLP along with Pearl Cohen LLP provided legal counsel. The bioMérieux group, present in 45 countries and serving more than 160 countries through a distributor network, reported a revenue of 4 billion euros in 2024, with more than 93% from international markets outside of France. The French group, listed on Euronext Paris, has been active in in vitro diagnostics since 1963 and offers solutions primarily used for the diagnosis of infectious diseases and the detection of microorganisms in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products.
