BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Illumina, PerkinElmer, Verinata deal

January 14, 2013 8:00 AM UTC

Illumina will acquire prenatal testing company Verinata for $350 million, plus up to $100 million in milestones through 2015. Illumina will gain Verinata's verifi prenatal test, which is marketed in the U.S. to identify multiple fetal chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome, from maternal blood. The product is a non-invasive prenatal test utilizing massively parallel DNA sequencing.

Illumina said the Verinata acquisition will build on its 2012 acquisition of cytogenetic diagnostic company BlueGnome Ltd. for an undisclosed sum. BlueGnome offers its CytoChip genomic-based test to screen for genetic abnormalities associated with developmental delay and complex leukemias. BofA Merrill Lynch advised Illumina on the Verinata deal and Covington & Burling LLP acted as legal counsel (see BioCentury, Sept. 24, 2012). ...