Millipore buys BioAnaLab to expand in EU
The acquisition is intended to help Millipore prosper outside of its traditional base in the US. By acquiring BioAnaLab and leveraging its reputation as a trusted partner Millipore expects to establish a presence in the European market, which it believes is growing quickly.
Predicted growth in the market for biologics testing services is underpinned by the composition of many pharmas pipelines, which are increasingly composed of biotech products and vaccines.
Millipore believes it now has the capacity to meet this rising demand. The acquisition of BioAnaLab gives the company a facility in Oxford, UK.
From this site BioAnaLab offers current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) compliant services to assist with evaluating and advancing biologics through the development process.
In particular the facility performs assay transfer and development, validation and sample analysis, pharmacokinetics, toxicokinetics, immunogenicity and biological potency. This offering will be strengthened by Millipore’s expertise in biomarker analytical services.
BioAnaLab’s Oxford facility gives Millipore a Europe-based counterpart to its site in St Charles, Missouri, US. These US- and Europe-based facilities provide similar large molecule bioanalytical services.
Financial details of the acquisition are being withheld.
Discovery and development focus
The acquisition of BioAnaLab follows last year’s expansion of Millipore’s St Charles facility, which provides similar services.
Millipore invested $3.4m (€2.4m) in the facility and hired a further 60 employees, taking the total to 187, in an effort to strengthen its position in the discovery and development market.
This effort includes the 2006 acquisition of Serologicals, which had a presence in St Charles. Since then the company has invested in people and infrastructure to expand its capabilities.
