Sanquin Health Solutions sells Sanquin Reagents to Dutch investor Gilde Healthcare

Sanquin Health Solutions (SHS) is selling its reagents branch to the Dutch Gilde Healthcare, a specialized investment company in the healthcare sector. Gilde Healthcare is the ideal party to further develop Sanquin Reagents, after successful development and growth within the Sanquin group, as an international producer of diagnostic tests for professional use in the healthcare sector. The sale proceeds will be invested in, among other things, research and development of medicines and care innovations for patients.

SHS is the commercial subsidiary of the Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, the organization that provides the blood supply in the Netherlands. SHS’s Reagents division produces and sells blood group and immune reagents, materials needed for, among other things, diagnostic research and drug development. Reagents’ products meet the highest quality requirements and have a solid reputation. Customers are international research laboratories, hospitals and test equipment manufacturers. Last year, Sanquin Reagents generated about €25 million in sales.

Breeding ground
Sanquin Reagents has grown significantly over the years. In order to continue this growth and to utilize its full potential, SHS decided to sell the subsidiary. In Gilde Healthcare, a very solid and ambitious investor was found, with an impressive track record in the international field of healthcare. Gilde can bring Sanquin Reagents further scale-up and development.

Pieter de Geus, managing director of SHS: “Together with Sanquin’s Research division, SHS is an important breeding ground for innovations in health care in the Netherlands. Reagents is a wonderful example of this. In recent years this company has been able to develop well within the Sanquin network. It has a steady product line, a solid organization, and an incredible amount of knowledge and potential for new products. Under the wings of Gilde, Sanquin Reagents will certainly be able to grow and make an even greater impact. Patients worldwide will benefit from this.”

Hugo de Bruin, partner at Gilde Healthcare: “We are very pleased with this announcement. We invest in companies that enable better care at lower costs. The strong R&D into new reagents that Sanquin Reagents has built up fits in with this investment philosophy. We see many opportunities to expand the unique research and manufacturing capabilities and develop new reagents. This will provide more affordable products with a wider global reach.”

The acquisition, which is still subject to the usual approval under the Works Councils Act, is expected to be completed in the coming months.

Kempen & Co has acted as financial advisor and JB Law has acted as legal advisor to Sanquin Health Solutions.

More information: www.gildehealthcare.com