NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – BioFire is expected to increase BioMérieux's 2014 sales by about €60 million ($83.5 million), BioMérieux said today as it reported its full-year 2013 financial results.
BioMérieux completed its $450 million purchase of BioFire in January in a deal anticipated to expand Marcy l'Etoile, France-based BioMérieux's molecular diagnostics business. BioFire markets the FilmArray molecular diagnostics system — a fully automated molecular testing system that uses PCR and melt-curve analysis and simultaneously tests for multiple infectious agents in about an hour — as well as associated syndromic infectious disease assay panels.
Today, BioMérieux said that BioFire's rapid development "will subsequently act as a key growth driver for [BioMérieux,] whose ambition is to increase its organic sales growth by 100 to 200 basis points [in] the 2015-2017 period."
After the completion of the acquisition, BioFire was split into two companies, BioFire Diagnostics, which focuses on molecular diagnostics, and BioFire Defense, "the center for new production innovation," which will "continue to deliver our fully integrated suite of biological agent identification products … and life science systems," BioFire Defense said on its website.
Last month, BioFire Diagnostics submitted its FilmArray Gastrointestinal Panel to the US Food and Drug Administration for 510(k) clearance. The panel tests for more than 20 common bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause infectious diarrhea.
BioMérieux noted that also last month the US Department of Defense awarded BioFire Defense an eight-year, $240 million biodefense contract to expand the FilmArray diagnostic menu. The contract goes toward the development of the company's biothreat testing capabilities, "followed by fielding FilmArray platforms across the US military."
BioMérieux today reported that sales for full-year 2013 rose 1 percent year over year to €1.59 billion from €1.57 billion. Its molecular biology business recorded €78 million in sales, a 7 percent increase from €73 million in 2012.
BioMérieux's net income improved to €164.7 million, or €4.16 per share, from €134.2 million, or €3.41 per share, in 2012.