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Bibby Scientific Acquires PCRmax

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) — Bibby Scientific said today that it has acquired PCRmax, a UK-based sales and distribution company set up specifically to capture a significant share of the PCR and qPCR markets.

PCRmax also owns the intellectual property previously owned by Illumina related to the Eco qPCR instrument. Illumina launched the Eco system in 2010 after acquiring the platform's developer, Helixis, earlier that year, but last year decided to divest the business and exit the qPCR market.

Now, as part of Bibby, PCRmax will launch the Eco 48-well qPCR platform, which features temperature uniformity and ramp rates that enable a real-time PCR experiment to be completed in as little as eight minutes, Bibby said.

In addition, PCRmax will concurrently launch a "wide range of qPCR kits and consumables," Bibby said, although it did not provide a timeline for this launch. Bibby added, however, that PCRmax would also launch an additional three PCR or qPCR instruments over the next year.

"This acquisition underlines our determination to become a leading global player in the life science equipment arena through the offer of technologically leading products at prices affordable by scientists worldwide," Bibby CEO James Heffernan said. "The addition of a comprehensive range of quality research kits for use on the new platforms should prove a compelling offering to our customers."

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.