Thermo Fisher Scientific to Acquire The Binding Site Group

WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) (“Thermo Fisher”), the world leader in serving science, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire The Binding Site Group (“The Binding Site”), a global leader in specialty diagnostics, from a shareholder group led by European private equity firm Nordic Capital, in an all-cash transaction valued at £2.25 billion, or $2.6 billion at current exchange rates.

Serving clinicians and laboratory professionals worldwide, The Binding Site provides specialty diagnostic assays and instruments to improve the diagnosis and management of blood cancers and immune system disorders. The Binding Site’s Freelite® offering is widely recommended for multiple myeloma diagnosis and monitoring across all stages of the disease by major clinical guideline publications.

Headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, The Binding Site has more than 1,100 employees globally and is an active and influential contributor to the broader scientific community. As an established leader in a fast-growing segment in which patient care has shifted towards early diagnosis and monitoring via regular testing, The Binding Site has an attractive financial profile. Its business has been growing approximately 10% annually and is on track to deliver more than $220 million of revenue in 2022. The strong clinical value of The Binding Site offering enables doctors across the globe to support millions of patients every year.

“This transaction perfectly aligns with our Mission and is an exciting addition to our existing specialty diagnostic offerings. With extensive expertise and a large and dedicated installed base in cancer diagnostics, The Binding Site will further enhance our specialty diagnostics portfolio,” said Marc N. Casper, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher. “The Binding Site is extremely well-respected by researchers and clinicians alike for its pioneering diagnosis and monitoring solutions for multiple myeloma. We also know early diagnosis and well-informed treatment decisions for multiple myeloma can make a significant difference in patient outcomes. We are excited by the opportunity to enable further innovation in this area for the benefit of patients and look forward to welcoming The Binding Site team to Thermo Fisher.”

Stefan Wolf, chief executive officer of The Binding Site, said, “This announcement marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for The Binding Site and is a testament to our team’s singular commitment to improving patient lives through the development and delivery of innovative solutions. The Binding Site has long been at the forefront of medical diagnostics and by joining the world leader in serving science, we will be even better positioned to accelerate scientific discovery and expand our product offering for the benefit of our colleagues, customers and, most importantly, the patients we serve.”

The transaction, which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2023, is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Upon completion, The Binding Site will become part of Thermo Fisher’s Specialty Diagnostics segment and is expected to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share by $0.07 for the first full year of ownership.¹

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue of approximately $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

About The Binding Site Group

The Binding Site Group is a global specialist protein diagnostics company engaged in the research, development, manufacture and distribution of innovative tests used for the detection of cancers and immune disorders. It is a business centered on the idea of working in collaboration with its partners and customers to lead the way in specialised medical diagnostics. The Company is headquartered in Birmingham, UK and has a direct presence in over 23 countries, employing over 1,100 people worldwide. Read more on www.bindingsite.com.

¹ Adjusted earnings per share is a non-GAAP measure that excludes certain items detailed later in this press release under the heading “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “seeks,” “estimates,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but other statements that are not historical facts may also be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; any natural disaster, public health crisis or other catastrophic event; the need to develop new products and adapt to significant technological change; implementation of strategies for improving growth; general economic conditions and related uncertainties; dependence on customers’ capital spending policies and government funding policies; the effect of economic and political conditions and exchange rate fluctuations on international operations; use and protection of intellectual property; the effect of changes in governmental regulations; and the effect of laws and regulations governing government contracts, as well as the possibility that expected benefits related to recent or pending acquisitions, including the proposed acquisition of The Binding Site Group, may not materialize as expected; the proposed acquisition of The Binding Site Group not being timely completed, if completed at all; regulatory approvals required for the transaction not being timely obtained, if obtained at all, or being obtained subject to conditions; The Binding Site Group’s business experiencing disruptions as a result of the acquisition or due to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors making it more difficult to maintain relationships with employees, customers, other business partners or governmental entities; difficulty retaining key employees; the outcome of any legal proceedings related to the proposed acquisition of The Binding Site Group; and the parties being unable to successfully implement integration strategies or to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies within the expected time-frames or at all. Additional important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are set forth in Thermo Fisher’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and available in the “Investors” section of Thermo Fisher’s website, ir.thermofisher.com, under the heading “SEC Filings”. While Thermo Fisher may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Thermo Fisher specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, even if estimates change and, therefore, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing Thermo Fisher’s views as of any date subsequent to today.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to the financial measures prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), Thermo Fisher uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted EPS, which excludes certain acquisition-related costs, including charges for the sale of inventories revalued at the date of acquisition and significant transaction costs; restructuring and other costs/income; amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets; certain other gains and losses that are either isolated or cannot be expected to occur again with any regularity or predictability, tax provisions/benefits related to the previous items, benefits from tax credit carryforwards, the impact of significant tax audits or events, equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities and the results of discontinued operations. Thermo Fisher excludes the above items because they are outside of the company’s normal operations and/or, in certain cases, are difficult to forecast accurately for future periods. Thermo Fisher believes that the use of non-GAAP measures helps investors to gain a better understanding of the company’s core operating results and future prospects, consistent with how management measures and forecasts the company’s performance, especially when comparing such results to previous periods or forecasts.

Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.