NEW YORK, July 25 - Motorola said today it has sold its CodeLink bioarray business to Amersham for $20 million.
Though the company said it decided to cash in its chips in the bioarray market as part of its restructuring to focus on core businesses, Motorola's other life-sciences offspring, the eSensor, will continue to live in its current home in Pasadena, Calif.
"The decision to exit this business was difficult because we still believe in its potential," said Christopher Galvin, Motorola's chairman and CEO. "We have been making tough decisions to conform to my strategy to focus Motorola on its core competencies of communications and electronics and drive increasing value for our shareholders."
He added: "Our customers will be well served by this agreement" with Amersham.
Motorola was Johnny Come Lately in the bioarray arena, entering the market in 1998 with its in-house development of the CodeLink system. Two years later Motorola bought Clinical Micro Sensors, which developed the eSensor system.
Motorola said the eSensor business unit is currently developing several clinical research and diagnostic applications for the new technology, including tests for cystic fibrosis carrier screening. The company said it is evaluating "a number" of business models and financing options to launch the technology.