Acquisition raises IDS’ automated assay profile

Immunodiagnostic Systems, a leading solution provider to the clinical laboratory diagnostic market, has augmented its endocrinology pipeline with the acquisition of Italian company Diametra, a developer of manual immunoenzymatic assays. The strategic move follows recent collaboration on the conversion of one of Diametra’s manual assays onto the fully automated IDS-iSYS instrument and IDS plans to add further manual assays in the area of steroid hormones to the instrument’s profile.

Employing approximately 25 staff Diametra, based in Spello, Umbria, generated revenues of €3.3m and an EBIT of €0.3m year-end 31 December 2013. The acquisition also provides IDS with additional development and manufacturing capabilities.

Patrik Dahlen, CEO of IDS, commented: “We are delighted to have secured the acquisition of Diametra, which will assist in the acceleration of our strategic plan outlined earlier this year.  In particular, Diametra will provide immediate access to endocrinology manual assays in the area of steroid hormones that can be converted to automated assays for our iSYS instrument.  We continue to pursue complementary acquisitions that will help us grow our specialist endocrinology menu and build operational excellence.”

Focused internally on developing an endocrinology excellence menu and working with partners to develop assay panels in complementary indication fields, IDS sells its products primarily in the clinical laboratory market across a range of customers from reference laboratories to physician office laboratories. IDS has field sales forces in certain European countries, including France and Germany, the United States and Brazil and works with distributors in other markets including China, Italy and Spain.