Merger/Acquisition Speculation
Re: Gamma / Immucor Deal???
Chipper_003
Jun 10 1998
3:59PM EDT
Greetings,
Who do you see as a good candidate to buy the merged company?? Someone like Abbott???
Regards, Chip
Re:Re
RJIII60
Jun 10 1998
4:31PM EDT
Abbott, Johnson & Johnson and SmithKline come to mind immediately... I find it very interesting that BLUD's new CFO came from a company that was recently purchased by Abbott... You must admit that BLUD seems to be executing an interesting strategy.... I would LOVE for them to make a run for GAMMA, if they can get it for under 35 million or so.
J&J...good bet
technetx
Jun 11 1998
2:23AM EDT
Abbott Labs has had a good relationship with BLUD throughout the last few years.... BLUD has hired some Abbott people to help with ABS tech....I had previously thought Abbott was best bet to take out BLUD, but Abbott has been going in a different direction lately i.e. OTC market product...they spent $800 million not too long ago in this effort. I don't know if Abbott is still interested in the blood diag. business anymore. But if Abbott decides to get into the blood business, buying out Immucor is a good way to do it. J&J, on the other hand, has been rather quiet... they gave up trying to develop an automated blood analysis device a year or so ago.... they probably realized buying out BLUD was cheaper than R&D....J&J is the industry leader in blood reagents right now, as I understand it. I don't think they can maintain that leadership without an automated device to sell. BTW: their profits are in the billions each year....BLUD can be bought for "pocket change" ($30 -40 per share). Regarding Gamma...a merger with BLUD would be beneficial and would increase possibility of buy out of BLUD by bigger fish. J&J would eliminate their two biggest "trouble-makers" in one shot.
J & J
Chipper_003
Jun 11 1998
2:34PM EDT
J&J has been rather silent in the Blood Bank market for some time now. Maybe there is a breakthrough on the horizon.
J&J's involvement with a merged BLUD/GBL might be a bit complicated because of the Diamed/MTS, Bioview, Gamma React column technologies all rolling into one entity. Seems very messy.
J&J's secret ?
technetx
Jun 11 1998
4:13PM EDT
>J&J has been rather silent in the Blood Bank market for some >time now. Maybe there is a breakthrough on the horizon.
Even if J&J is developing their version of an ABS and assuming they have kept the clinical trials secret, they still have to contend with the time warp of the FDA.... get in line behind BLUD.
>J&J's involvement with a merged BLUD/GBL might be a bit >complicated because of the Diamed/MTS, Bioview, Gamma >React column technologies all rolling into one entity. Seems >very messy.
Not really sure what you mean "messy". With both technologies are one roof, it seems very easier to command market leadership.
RE:
Chipper_003
Jun 11 1998
5:18PM EDT
Messy in terms of what would be in it for Diamed (North American distribution agreement with Ortho). My understanding is that the Diamed Ortho arrangement was consummated, or at least partially motivated by pending litigation re patent infringement by Orthos Bioview product. Ortho and Diamed compete head to head in Europe and I've heard opinions that suggest that the relationship is uneasy at best. As mentioned in an earlier posting Diamed has now filed suit against Gamma for infringement.
In a merged Company one of these column technologies would probably be out of the loop, probably Diamed. I can't see them thinking too much of that particularly considering their proprietary position with respect to both Bioview and React. Or maybe Ortho would kill React and sell Diamed which would llikely then be the only column technology in the market. This might help dealing with any Diamed patent suit.
Someone like Ortho has the ability to totally alter the landscape of the competitive environment in transfusion medicine if they chose to. Immucor and Gamma their two main competitors are pint sized and would be easy acquisitions (cost wise and in terms of manufacturing and development synergies) I've never been sure why they haven't taken the initiative.
Fun to speculate,
Chip |
