DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will require the sale of MDS
Inc.'s (MDS.T, MDZ) laser-microdissection business to ensure a
competitive market after Danaher Corp.'s (DHR) purchase of the
Canadian health-care conglomerate's analytical technologies
business.
Danaher and MDS are two of only four North American suppliers of
the devices, which are used to separate small groups of cells--or
even one cell--from larger tissue samples for testing.
MDS will sell the Arcturus brand of laser microdissection
devices to Life Technologies Corp. (LIFE).
Industrial company Danaher agreed in September to buy MDS's
analytical-techonologies business and a 50% stake in a joint
venture for $650 million. Danaher will also pay Life Technologies
$450 million for the rest of the stake in AB SCIEX, a
mass-spectrometry business.
"The commission's order will protect competition in the
specialized and highly concentrated market for laser
microdissection devices, leading to lower costs and increased
innovation," said FTC Bureau of Competition Director Richard
Feinstein.
Danaher shares were recently down 1.4% at $73.04, while MDS
stock was down 0.5% to $7.52. Life Technologies was down 0.5% to
$48.27.
Danaher reports its fourth-quarter results Thursday.
-By Jay Miller, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2355;
jay.miller@dowjones.com