NUSSLOCH, Germany and VISTA, California, Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Leica Biosystems announced that an affiliate has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aperio, a leading provider of ePathology solutions. 

Aperio will be integrated into Leica Biosystems, a leader in anatomical pathology solutions. Together, the two businesses will leverage each other's strengths to grow and expand digital pathology into the global Life Science and Healthcare markets. The integrated business will provide industry leading solutions in each step of the anatomical pathology workflow, from sample preparation and staining, to imaging and reporting. The company will continue to offer both the Aperio and the existing Leica portfolio of Digital Pathology solutions, so that customers will enjoy more freedom to choose a solution that meets their individual needs.  

Aperio is a global leader in digital pathology, with the largest installed base of systems in both Life Science and Healthcare. Aperio ePathology Solutions include whole slide scanners, a NETWORK solution that enables remote, real-time viewing and easy distribution of images for peer review, collaboration and consultation. Its PRECISION solution provides pathologists with easy-to-use quantitative image analysis to improve research and clinical productivity, reproducibility, and consistency. Customers include clinicians and researchers working in hospitals, reference laboratories, pharma and research institutions.

"We are excited to acquire Aperio, because of its leadership in digital pathology, innovative product portfolio, and its very experienced global team. We share the commitment to advancing cancer diagnostics to improve lives. This acquisition positions us to better address the growing demand for personalized medicine and the increasing challenge of staff shortage in the global pathology market. Together we offer the market an end-to-end solution from the time that the specimen is collected to the time that the results are delivered, to help our customers improve workflow efficiency and diagnostic confidence," said Arnd Kaldowski, President of Leica Biosystems.

"We believe that Aperio will benefit from the heritage, deep pathology expertise, and strong brand recognition of Leica Biosystems," said David Schlotterbeck, CEO of Aperio. "The combined product offerings and improved reach into the diagnostic market will make our ePathology Solutions more widely available.  We see our goals as synergistic and together we can address the regional and global imbalances of pathology expertise available for patient care and research."

About Leica Biosystems

Leica Biosystems offers histopathology laboratories the most extensive product range with industry leading solutions for each workflow step, to enable the improvement of workflow efficiency and diagnostic confidence. Leica Biosystems is represented in over 100 countries. It has manufacturing facilities in 7 countries, sales and service organizations in 19 countries, and an international network of dealers. The company is headquartered in Nussloch, Germany. Further information can be found at www.LeicaBiosystems.com

About Aperio

For over a decade, Aperio has advanced the technology that enables glass slides to be digitized and securely shared with others. Aperio products are transforming the practice of pathology in hospitals, reference labs, and pharmaceutical and research institutions around the world. From the moment glass slides are elevated to eSlides, Aperio ePathology Solutions equip pathologists with the power to evaluate, engage, and excel like never before. The NETWORK enables remote, simultaneous, real-time viewing and easy distribution for consults and collaboration. PRECISION tools empower pathologists with advanced analytic capabilities. An interoperable, scalable, and secure web-based software platform facilitates integration with existing systems. With Aperio ePathology Solutions, organizations can optimize their pathology operations for transparency, consistency, and efficiency to support patient care, personalized medicine, and research. For clearance updates, specific product indications, and more information please visit www.aperio.com

SOURCE Leica Biosystems; Aperio