The acquisition marks its first entry into the x-ray microanalysis market, which has applications in nanotechnology and advanced materials research for pharmaceutical, academia and government research facilities.
The worldwide X-ray microanalysis market is estimated to be greater than $150 million (€125 million) per year and consists of X-ray accessories for scanning and transmission electron microscopes, as well as of stand-alone micro X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometers.
Bruker's acquisition of Roentec is expected to close in the forth quarter of 2005, a company with annual revenues of $6-7 million. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"Roentec has been distribution-limited and at a size disadvantage relative to its larger competitors," Frank Burgaezy, executive vice president at Bruker AXS.
The acquisition of Roentec mirrors August's takeover of privately held French company Socabim, a company focused on advanced X-ray materials research and analysis software.
With this acquisition, Bruker AXS said it was expanding its core technology base in two of its strategic product and applications areas.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2006, adding $0.01 per share to Bruker AXS parent Bruker Biosciences Corp in 2006.
X-ray microanalysis is considered to be one of the faster growing segments of the overall X-ray analysis market.
Bruker AXS already makes X-ray diffraction (XRD) systems for use in the in the pharmaceutical industry - from drug discovery, pre-formulation and formulation, through to manufacturing and quality assurance.
X-ray single crystal diffraction (SCD crystallography) systems can be used for small molecule and protein 3D structural analysis, and in X-ray fluorescence (XRF) elemental analysis for materials analysis and quality control applications.
In all of these areas, it can be used to determine the crystallographic constitution of the sample from which the physical properties of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) or an excipient can be derived. Meanwhile, X-ray fluorescence is used in the pharmaceutical sector to detect inorganic contaminants in the production process.
These technologies are cited in the US Food and Drug Administration's new initiative on Process Analytical Technology (PAT).
This initiative will allow drug companies to monitor their manufacturing processes continuously and automatically in real time, rather than intermittently and historically via samples and post-manufacturing quality controls.
The result should be higher quality, reduced production costs and less wastage during manufacturing.