LabCorp Announces Agreement to Acquire Sequenom
BURLINGTON, N.C. & SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®) (NYSE:LH), the world’s leading healthcare diagnostics company, and Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ:SQNM), a pioneer in non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for reproductive health, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger under which LabCorp would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Sequenom in a cash tender offer for $2.40 per share, or an equity value of $302 million, which represents a total enterprise value of approximately $371 million, including net indebtedness.
“Sequenom’s market-leading NIPT and genetic testing capabilities will advance LabCorp’s strategy to deliver world-class diagnostic solutions,” said David P. King, chairman and chief executive officer of LabCorp. “This is exactly the kind of strategic acquisition that LabCorp seeks: Sequenom was the first laboratory to offer a clinically validated NIPT test (MaterniT®21) and has performed more than 500,000 tests to date. Sequenom’s proven best-in-class technology and strong research complement LabCorp’s extensive women’s health offering, providing patients and physicians with one source for the most complete range of testing options in women’s health, including NIPT and reproductive genetics.”
King added, “Sequenom expands LabCorp’s geographic reach both domestically and internationally, offering services through licensing and commercial partnerships with an emphasis on the European Union and Asia Pacific. The addition of Sequenom to the LabCorp family meets our stated financial criteria, and creates a market leader in NIPT, women’s health and reproductive genetics, furthering our mission to improve health and improve lives around the globe.”
“We are extremely excited to join LabCorp in its mission to deliver world-class diagnostic solutions,” said Dirk van den Boom, Ph.D., president and CEO, Sequenom. “Strategically, this transaction makes sense. LabCorp is the world’s leading healthcare diagnostics company, providing comprehensive clinical laboratory and end-to-end drug development services. Sequenom is a pioneer in noninvasive prenatal testing for reproductive health. Over the last nine months, Sequenom has vastly enhanced its technology, operations, and business prospects. The opportunities this transaction presents are significant and important both for our reproductive health business as well as our liquid biopsy strategy. Becoming part of LabCorp helps Sequenom reach a much broader market for our innovative testing.”
Under the terms of the agreement and plan of merger, LabCorp has formed an acquisition subsidiary, Savoy Acquisition Corp., that will commence a tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Sequenom for $2.40 per share. Following the completion of the tender offer, LabCorp expects to consummate a merger of Savoy Acquisition Corp. and Sequenom in which shares of Sequenom that have not been purchased in the tender offer will be converted into the right to receive the same cash price per share as paid in the tender offer. The tender offer and the merger are subject to customary closing conditions set forth in the merger agreement, including the acquisition by Savoy Acquisition Corp. of a majority of Sequenom’s outstanding shares at the time of the consummation of the tender offer and the expiration or early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended. The closing of the acquisition is expected by year end.
The board of directors of Sequenom, having determined that the offer and the merger are advisable, fair to, and in the best interests of Sequenom and its stockholders, approved the agreement and plan of merger and the other transactions contemplated thereby, including the tender offer, and recommended that Sequenom’s stockholders accept the offer and tender their shares in the offer when it is made.
JP Morgan is acting as financial advisor to Sequenom in connection with the transaction, and Cooley LLP is providing legal advice. Barclays is acting as financial advisor to LabCorp, and Hogan Lovells is providing legal advice.
About Sequenom
Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ:SQNM) is committed to enabling healthier lives through the development of innovative products and services. The Company serves patients and physicians by providing early patient management information. To learn how Sequenom is interpreting the genome to improve your life, visit www.sequenom.com.
About Sequenom Laboratories
Sequenom Laboratories, a CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified molecular diagnostics laboratory, has developed a broad range of laboratory tests, with a focus principally on prenatal care. Branded under the names HerediT®, HerediT® UNIVERSAL, MaterniT® GENOME, MaterniT® 21 PLUS, NextView®, SensiGene® and VisibiliT™, these molecular genetic laboratory-developed tests provide early patient management information for obstetricians, geneticists, and maternal fetal medicine specialists. Sequenom Laboratories is changing the landscape in genetic diagnostics using proprietary cutting edge technologies. Visitwww.laboratories.sequenom.com and follow @SequenomLabs.
About LabCorp®
Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (NYSE:LH), an S&P 500 company, is the world’s leading healthcare diagnostics company, providing comprehensive clinical laboratory and end-to-end drug development services. With a mission to improve health and improve lives, LabCorp delivers world-class diagnostic solutions, brings innovative medicines to patients faster and develops technology-enabled solutions to change the way care is provided. With net revenue in excess of $8.5 billion in 2015, LabCorp’s 50,000 employees serve clients in 60 countries. To learn more about LabCorp, visit www.labcorp.com, and to learn more about Covance Drug Development, visitwww.covance.com.
