Swedish 3D bioprinter manufacturerCELLINKhas agreed to acquire the in-vitro technology specialistMatTek Corporationfor $68 million.
The deal, which is expected to be finalized next week, will see CELLINK pay $13.6 million of the purchase price in shares, and the remaining $54.4 million in cash, to gain full control of MatTek. Given the bioprinting synergy between the firms, CELLINK anticipates that the acquisition will not only serve to accelerate its existing product workflow, but advance its research into animal cruelty-free cellular testing models.
“The time has come for the next step in our journey, where we will have the opportunity to become a member of an innovative bioconvergence powerhouse, in which our expertise and offering can flourish,” said Alex Armento, President and CEO of MatTek. “We will be able to reach out to a wider community, and continue our mission to put an end to animal testing by providing alternative test models.”
Cellink的生物打印扩展
自2016年成立以来，Cellink迅速建立了广泛的生物企业和生物生物发电机组合，使科学家能够培养细胞为人类组织模型。但是，尽管该技术经常用于临床测试，但它仍在不断开发中，并且该公司不懈地努力推动其潜在的生物医学应用。
与再生医学专家合作CTI BIOTECH, for instance, CELLINK has managed to developtumor cell models with high levels of viabilitythat could become key to treating future cancer patients. Elsewhere, the firm has also partnered withMade In Space去弄清楚3D bioprinting’s drug-screening potentialonboard theInternational Space Station（ISS）。
最近，Cellink采取了一种更具进取心的增长方法，仅在过去三年中就获得了五个竞争对手。该公司似乎也对Covid-19造成的具有挑战性的市场条件感到不安，因为它选择了purchase precision dispensing firm Scienion2020年8月的9600万美元。
Effectively, CELLINK’s acquisition of Scenion has enabled it to increase its penetration in the diagnostics sector, but with its MatTek deal, the firm potentially stands to make an even greater advance. In fact, according to the CELLINK’s CEO Erik Gatenholm, the takeover represents a step towards cruelty-free testing models, which was “one of the main reasons the company was founded five years ago.”
一笔6800万美元的生物融合
基于财务状况，Cellink对Mattek的收购预计将返回快速股息，因为该公司去年产生了1660万美元的收入，并且显示每年增长10％。更重要的是，当交易于2021年3月24日完成时，Cellink设定将Mattek的营业额纳入自己的营业额，并报告了从2021年第二季度的合并收入，并提高了收入的增长。
更普遍地说，鉴于这两家公司从事类似的生物学研究，它们的合并也可以产生简化各自工作流程的机会。实际上，这意味着将Cellink的生物打印和工业机器人技术与Mattek的人类衍生组织模型相结合，并为其组合的研发和监管测试客户创建更广泛的投资组合。
Additionally, CELLINK has identified a number of opportunities for joint product development with its new subsidiary, that potentially take advantage of its cell culturing technology, including the creation of highly-accurate testing models. If successful, such research could enable healthcare firms to better evaluate drug efficacy, while minimizing or even removing the need for animal testing altogether.
“通过对马特克的战略收购，我们进一步意识到Cellink和创始人减少的愿景，在某些情况下消除了动物测试，” Gatenholm总结道。“我们将强大的目标驱动议程与开拓性的技术相结合，这样一来，我们正在融合可以改变许多人生活的解决方案。”
Putting an end to animal testing
Although 3D printing human soft tissues remains challenging, a number of recent developments have been reported, that suggest an alternative to animal testing may not be too far away.
科学家来自Tsinghua University, for instance, have3D bioprinted brain-like tissuestructures that are capable of nurturing implanted neural cells. During their study, the team also found that their cultures displayed high levels of drug sensitivity, indicating their potential for use within drug testing applications.
在更商业的阵线，制药公司HK inno.N已经宣布了使用的计划人造3D印刷皮肤as a means of testing autoimmune and skin disorder drugs. As part of the project, the company intends to work withT&R Biofab，评估不同皮肤病药物的功效。
Researchers at theUniversity of StuttgartandRobert Bosch Hospital, meanwhile, are designing a3D printed tissue platformas a direct replacement for animal testing in clinical trials. Once ready, the ex-vivo tissue model could either be used for testing new cancer drugs, or better mapping the progression of cancerous tumors.
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Featured image shows a scientist experimenting using MatTek’s in-vitro technology. Photo via MatTek.
