Meridian to acquire antigens from Vybion

Ohio, USA-based Meridian Bioscience has executed a letter of intent to acquire a line of infectious disease recombinant proteins and cardiac antigens from Vybion, Inc. The purchase price includes cash and future royalties based on net sales of the acquired products, the amounts of which were not disclosed. The assets include a portfolio of recombinant viral proteins and cardiac antigens, customer lists, supply agreements, patent and technology rights, equipment, and on-hand inventory. These products will be manufactured at Meridian's wholly-owned subsidiary, Meridian Life Science, located in Memphis, Tennessee.

They add to the growing portfolio of highly specialized biologicals that Meridian manufactures and distributes to the diagnostic, pharmaceutical and research markets, the company notes, and will be highly complementary to its existing products manufactured for large specialist companies as components of commercial diagnostic products used in the diagnosis of infectious diseases and in the monitoring of human protein levels in hepatitis, HIV and cardiac disease.