France's bioMerieux to pursue expansion focusing on strategic product areas

The French in vitro diagnostics group bioMerieux has reaffirmed its intention of pursuing a strategy of external growth following the difficult summer marked by the death of Christophe Merieux who was to succeed his father and current president Alain Merieux (Marketletters passim). The company will focus on strategic product areas in bacteriology, immunoassays, molecular biology and industrial microbiology.

Alain Merieux said also that the company is still open to acquisitions, remaining "very active in this area." Stephane Bancel will take over as director general from January 1 next year, replacing Benoit Adelus, at present executive vice president. Mr Bancel is currently on a fact-finding mission around the group so as to complete a plan for a new management team to reinforce agreed strategy. His report is due next month. Peter Kaspar will replace the late Christophe Merieux as director of R&D.

The new team will have to face an increasingly competitive environment dominated by major groups such as Roche, Abbott Laboratories and Johnson & Johnson as well as new faces on the block such as Siemens of Germany, which recently acquired Diagnostics Products Corp of the USA, and Bayer's diagnostics business.