CHALFONT ST GILES, UK and ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Oct. 22
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric
Company (NYSE:
GE), and Clarient, Inc. (Nasdaq:
CLRT) announced today that they have entered into a definitive
agreement for GE Healthcare to acquire Clarient, a leading player
in the fast-growing molecular diagnostics sector. Clarient’s
technologies, combined with GE Healthcare’s strengths in diagnostic
imaging, are expected to accelerate the development of new
integrated tools for the diagnosis and characterization of cancer.
A subsidiary of GE will commence a tender offer for all
outstanding common and preferred shares of Clarient at $5.00 per
common share and $20.00 per preferred share, in each case payable
in cash.
Molecular diagnostics provide precise information about a
patient’s cancer and can help doctors decide on the best treatment.
The rapid increase in the incidence of cancer worldwide,
together with advances in specific cancer-focused therapies, is
driving significant demand for molecular diagnostics. The
global demand for cancer-profiling products and services is
predicted to grow from $15 billion in 2009 to an estimated $47
billion by 2015*. Since 2005, Clarient’s revenues have grown
at a 68 percent compounded annual growth rate.
John Dineen, President and CEO of GE Healthcare, said, “GE
Healthcare has built a world-class set of diagnostic, information
and life science technologies. We are experiencing solid
growth in the core business this year and we see that growth
continuing into 2011. Adding Clarient’s leading technology to our
portfolio will accelerate our expansion into cancer diagnostics and
therapy selection tools, while strongly enhancing our current
diagnostic and life sciences offerings. We believe w
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