Roche to buy digital pathology firm for $100M

Roche has signed an agreement under which Ventana Medical Systems, a member of the Roche Group, will acquire 100 percent of BioImagene, a digital pathology company based in Sunnyvale, Calif., for a purchase price of approximately $100 million on a debt-free basis.

BioImagene develops digital pathology workflow and analysis technologies, including whole-slide digital images from glass microscope slides. They also develop the software to view, analyze and manage tissue images using a computer.

The Basel, Switzerland-based Roche said it is seeking to combine BioImagene’s product line with Ventana’s, which develops and markets instrument/reagent systems that automate tissue preparation and slide staining in clinical histology and drug discovery laboratories.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in the coming weeks, according to Roche.

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