Caliper Life Sciences, Inc, a leading provider of tools and services for drug discovery and life sciences research, announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Pharmaceutical Development & Quality Analysis (PDQ) product line to SOTAX Corporation in a transaction valued at approximately $15.8 million. The PDQ product line consists of products used for drug content uniformity and dissolution rate testing and related services. The sale is expected to close in November 2008.
"Divesting the PDQ product line is an important milestone in our strategy to focus on core technologies in imaging, microfluidics and sample preparation and to strengthen our balance sheet by rationalizing non-strategic product segments," said Kevin Hrusovsky, president and CEO of Caliper. "A sharper strategic focus can facilitate an increased top line growth rate and potential for achieving further operating efficiencies, accelerating our timeline to profitability."
Under the terms of the agreement, SOTAX, a leader in technologies used for tablet testing, will make cash payment of approximately $13.8 million and assume liabilities for an estimated $2 million. Furthermore, Caliper and SOTAX have expressed their intent to enter into a long-term lease agreement under which Caliper will sublease approximately 10,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space to SOTAX on a market-rate basis, thereby reducing Caliper's ongoing facility costs. Certain Caliper employees currently involved with the PDQ business will be offered positions with SOTAX.
"This acquisition represents an opportunity for SOTAX to expand its worldwide presence, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom, and is an important step in achieving our strategic growth objectives," said Rolf Benz, president and CEO of SOTAX Holding AG the privately-owned parent company of SOTAX Corporation. "Caliper built excellent customer relationships in this market segment and is working closely with us to ensure that the PDQ customers continue to receive the same exceptional level of customer support and service throughout the transition and beyond."
Caliper's PDQ product line is comprised of TPW3 - Tablet Processing Workstation, APW3 - Active Ingredient Processing Workstation, MultiDose G3 - Dissolution Workstation, and other related products.
Caliper Life Sciences is a premier provider of cutting-edge technologies enabling researchers in the life sciences industry to create life-saving and enhancing medicines and diagnostic tests more quickly and efficiently.