Danaher Corp. has emerged as the leading bidder for biotechnology supplier Abcam Plc, according to people familiar with the matter.
(Bloomberg) — Danaher Corp. has emerged as the leading bidder for biotechnology supplier Abcam Plc, according to people familiar with the matter.
Danaher has pulled ahead of other bidders and is negotiating with the Cambridge, England-based company to reach a deal, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.
Nothing is finalized and talks could still fall apart. It’s still possible another bidder could prevail, the people said.
A representative for Abcam declined to comment. A representative for Danaher couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Reuters reported earlier that Danaher was ahead in the bidding.
Bloomberg News reported in June that Abcam had attracted initial interest from US life sciences company Danaher and Agilent Technologies Inc. Abcam said that month that it was starting a process to explore strategic options including a sale after receiving interest from multiple parties.
Abcam is sometimes referred to as the “Amazon of antibodies.” It runs an online store selling a variety of protein research tools to life scientists, ranging from reagents and cellular assays to enzymes and imaging products.
The company has been locked in a battle with founder Jonathan Milner, who previously called an extraordinary general meeting to replace some of its board members and get himself elected executive chairman. Milner said in June he paused the proxy fight after the company said it was exploring “all options” including a potential sale of the company after receiving inquiries from “multiple parties.”
(Updates with products in sixth paragraph)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.