Thermo Fisher sells microbiology unit

Thermo Fisher Scientific is selling its microbiology business to private-equity firm Astorg for about $1.075 billion. (thermofisher.com) The companies said April 27 that they signed a definitive agreement, with consideration made up of cash and a $50 million seller note. (thermofisher.com) (astorg.com) The unit being sold makes antimicrobial susceptibility testing products and culture media, which labs use to identify microbes and check which drugs can stop them from growing. (thermofisher.com) Those products are used across clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and food-safety testing, making the business a supplier to hospitals, drug plants, and food labs. (thermofisher.com) (astorg.com) Astorg said the business will become a standalone company after the deal closes, rather than staying inside Thermo Fisher’s broader life-sciences portfolio. (astorg.com) Thermo Fisher said the sale lets it sharpen focus on its core strategy, while Astorg said it sees room to expand the microbiology unit through organic growth and acquisitions. (thermofisher.com) (astorg.com) Reuters reported the sale marks Thermo Fisher’s exit from part of its clinical and food-safety testing portfolio and distribution footprint. (reuters.com) The transaction still needs customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The companies did not give a closing date in their April 27 announcements. (thermofisher.com) (astorg.com) If the deal closes as planned, microbiology customers who now buy from Thermo Fisher will eventually be dealing with an Astorg-backed standalone supplier instead. (astorg.com) (reuters.com)