Charles River Laboratories International said today it plans to acquire Celsis International for $212 million cash, in a deal designed to strengthen the buyer’s ability to carry out rapid quality control testing of biopharmaceutical and consumer products.
Charles River said the acquisition will complement its Endotoxin and Microbial Detection (EMD) business. Celsis’s systems are principally used for product-release testing to help ensure the safe manufacture of drugs and consumer products. Celsis’s systems have processed over 100 million assays, and have reduced testing time to between 18 and 48 hours, compared to three to seven days required for conventional testing.
Celsis’ Advance II™, Accel™, and Innovate™ systems for non-sterile applications will join EMD’s recently-launched PTS-Micro™, a rapid bacterial bioburden detection system for sterile biopharmaceutical applications. Charles River reasons the combined companies’ portfolio will satisfy clients will seek a single provider for their rapid product-release testing needs across both sterile and non-sterile applications.
“The acquisition nearly doubles the market opportunity for EMD testing products and services, offering access to the consumer products market in addition to our core biopharmaceutical market,” James C. Foster, Charles River’s chairman, president, and CEO, said in a statement.
The company has quantified that “market opportunity” at $2 billion.
“Celsis’ robust financial profile enhances the EMD business, which is our highest-growth and one of our highest-margin businesses,” Foster added.
Celsis is anticipated to account for about 1% of Charles River’s 2015 consolidated revenue and about 2.5% of 2016 consolidated revenue. The Celsis operations are expected to generate revenue growth in the low-double digits for the foreseeable future, Charles River said, with a non-GAAP operating margin higher than that of its Manufacturing Support segment. However, Celsis results will be combined with the EMD business within Charles River’s Manufacturing Support segment.
Through the acquisition, Charles River said, it expects to generate cost savings or “synergies” of at least $2 million in 2016.
The buyer added that the Celsis deal is also expected to add to its non-GAAP earnings per share by approximately 5 cents per share this year, and 15 to 20 cents per share in 2016. Non-GAAP earnings exclude all costs related to the acquisition, which are expected to be financed through a combination of cash and borrowings from the company’s revolving credit facility.
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year, subject to customary closing conditions.
