Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today the acquisition of PVT Probenverteiltechnik GmbH based in Waiblingen, Germany and of PVT Lab Systems, LLC based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. PVT is a global market leader in providing customised automation and workflow solutions for in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) testing in large commercial and hospital laboratories.

Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will pay PVT shareholders an upfront payment of EUR 65 million as well as up to EUR 20 million upon reaching performance-related milestones. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. PVT will become one of the competence centers inside Roche for the development and manufacturing of automation products.

The acquisition will expand Roche’s global access to PVT’s product portfolio for automation of pre- and post-analytical tasks such as centrifuging, pipetting, sorting and archiving across a large variety of sample formats. Through optimized work processes, improved turn-around-times as well as increased quality and security of sample handling, PVT’s products enable clinical laboratories to reliably manage low to very high sample volumes and to arrange their lab space with great flexibility.