Affymetrix Will Acquire eBioscience

Affymetrix has signed a definitive agreement to acquire eBioscience, a privately held maker of flow cytometry and immunoassay reagents, for $330 million in cash. Affymetrix, which supplies gene-sequencing instruments, says the deal will create new opportunities in areas such as immunology, oncology, cell biology, and diagnostics. eBioscience’s sales this year will be about $70 million, but Affymetrix CEO Frank Witney says eBioscience opens markets that represent “a nearly $3 billion annual opportunity.” The deal is Witney’s first at Affymetrix. He joined the firm in July after completing the sale of Dionex to Thermo Fisher Scientific.