Roche and Athena See the Benefit of Clinical Lab Acquisitions
Executive Summary
Two drug companies, one large the other small, made acquisitions that highlight the role diagnostics will play in a more cost-constrained pharmaceutical environment. In Roche's acquiring National Health, it creates a player able to bundle drugs and diagnostic services together in attractively priced packages. Athena's acquisition of Genica, an esoteric testing lab specializing in CNS, boosts Athena's CNS sales force and gives the reps a series of technologically sophisticated products to sell to neurologists.