PET scans in Europe could become easier to get as Siemens Healthineers agrees to buy the nuclear diagnostic imaging business of pharmaceutical giant Novartis. Meanwhile, Enlitic announced plans to acquire a radiology competitor as a springboard for future growth, the company’s CEO Michael Sistenich said in a statement.
Rounding out the merger and acquisition news this week, PatientPay said it would combine with ClearGage to become a force in healthcare billing and payments, while Check Point Software announced it was adding AI-enhanced analytics that pull information from the dark web through a partnership with fast-growing Cyberint.
Siemens accepts AAA diagnosis
Siemens Healthineers said it will be able to expand its US-based PET radiopharmaceutical business into Europe by acquiring Novartis’ molecular imaging business for $223 million, according to Financial Times.
Switzerland-based Novartis originally bought a radiopharmaceutical technology called Advanced Accelerator Applications in 2017 for nearly $4 billion. According to a Reuters article about the acquisition, AAA’s technology creates images of organs and lesions by deploying small amounts of radioactive compounds to diagnose diseases and can also be used to fight cancer.
Last week’s story about the Siemens deal suggests the imaging giant wants to produce the necessary nuclear isotopes, which have shorter half-lives, closer to European imaging centers, as the compounds need to be used the same day they are produced.
Company sources said the deal has been confirmed and said, subject to regulatory approval, the deal is expected to close this year.
Enlitic acquires Laitek for $5 million
The Fort Collins, Colorado-based software company, which aims to improve clinical workflows and expand healthcare capabilities by using AI to manage data, announced that it has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire competitor Laitek.
Laitek, a company focused on rapid PACS data migration, has a steady stream of new migration projects, Enlitic announced on August 29. The acquisition includes all of the company’s proprietary capabilities, historical data, trade secrets, and existing customer relationships.
Enlitic said the merger will increase access to new customers, increase revenue efficiency and save costs by adding Laitek’s medical imaging data routing and migration services to its AI-enhanced medical imaging data software suite licensed to providers.
“Laitek and Enlitic are a strong strategic combination, enabling us to deliver differentiated and synergistic services to our customers,” Sistenich said in a statement.
The combined capabilities will help address “many long-standing operational challenges, such as data movement and storage, data normalization and migration to cloud solutions,” he said.
This acquisition is contingent on Enlitic successfully raising capital.
PatientPay Merges with ClearGage
PatientPay, a patient billing and payment partner for acute, outpatient and specialty care, will merge with ClearGage, a provider of healthcare billing and estimating solutions.
The combination will allow PatientPay to develop and deploy advanced digital infrastructure that better connects patients and providers, the companies said in an announcement last week.
By merging, the combined platform aims to better align the consumer experience “with the financial goals and needs of healthcare organizations,” ClearGage CEO Ryan Zemmin said in a statement.
“Our shared ability to remove friction from the patient financial experience and collect payments quickly is why our customers continue to trust us to protect and grow their organization’s financial health,” added Tom Furr, CEO of PatientPay.
Check Point Adds AI-Driven Intelligence
Redwood City, California-based Check Point Software announced on August 27 that it has agreed to acquire Cyberint’s advanced threat prevention capabilities, including detecting and removing fake websites and social media accounts, stolen credentials and leaked data.
“Leaked credentials and fake websites designed for malicious purposes are extremely common today, with over 90% of organizations facing these threats,” said Yochai Corem, CEO of Cyberint, in a statement.
Founded in 2010, the outsourced risk management services provider serves a wide range of global customers and Fortune 500 companies and will enhance Check Point’s SOC capabilities, added Sharon Schusheim, Check Point’s chief services officer.
“We will be able to turn identified risks into autonomous preventative actions and work closely with Check Point and third-party security products to prevent assets from being compromised and mitigate external risks,” she said.
Cyberint’s Argos Platform capabilities, which leverage intelligence from across the open web, deep web and dark web and analyze evolving attack surfaces to find new threats, will be integrated into Check Pint’s Infinity Platform.
Check Point said the transaction is expected to close in 2024.
Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
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