2013年9月7日讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --路透社9月6日报道，据3位知情人士爆料，医疗巨头强生（JNJ）已启动出售Ortho临床诊断单元的进程，预期售价约50亿美元，该单元产品主要包括血液检测设备和实验室诊断设备。

知情人士称，强生已邀请摩根大通执行此次出售，并准备在未来几周内，向潜在买家发送详细的财务信息，其中包括一些世界最大的私人控股投资公司及数个医疗保健公司。
知情人士称，早期的估算表明，Ortho临床诊断单元扣除利息、税金、折旧、分期付款前的收入（EBITDA）在4亿至5亿美元之间，预示该单元可能的估值约为50亿美元。

强生拒绝发表评论，而摩根大通发言人未立即发表评论。

强生在2013年1月份称，将探索Ortho单位的战略选择，包括出售或分拆的可能性，并提醒称，该过程需要12至24个月的时间。

强生欲剥离Ortho单元的决定，源于当前的大环境，全球经济增长放缓，主要市场药品消费增长也在放缓，来自保险人和政府支付的压力及价格管制，专利悬崖，迫使各大制药企业收缩战线、削减成本。例如，辉瑞（Pfizer）已剥离其动物保健业务，而雅培（Abbott）也在今年年初剥离了其品牌药单元。

Ortho单元的年销售额约为20亿美元，与检测疾病迹象相关基因突变的现代分子诊断相比，该单元的产品被认为已过时，且盈利能力低。Ortho是强生七大医疗器材和诊断品牌之一，以营收计在临床诊断设备市场排名第五，营收增长相对迟缓。通常情况下，强生的业务在其各自的市场中总是排名第一或第二。

有分析师指出，强生的诊断设备业务增长缓慢，如果不能成为行业领袖，就很难在这一领域进行竞争。

当前，相对分子诊断而言，临床诊断显得不那么具有吸引力。基因检测可以帮助医生引导患者进行恰当的治疗，在未来几年中，分子诊断市场预计将强劲增长。

但一些分析家认为，私募股权投资可能会对强生Ortho单元所能提供的稳定现金流感兴趣。其中一位消息人士称，工业和医疗保健企业集团通用电气（GE）和丹纳赫集团（Danaher Cor）可能会认真的考虑强生Ortho单元的投标。

通用电气（GE）不予置评，丹纳赫集团未立即发表评论。
英文原文：J&J kicks off $5 billion clinical diagnostics unit sale: sources

(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson has launched a sale process for its Ortho Clinical Diagnostics unit, which makes blood screening equipment and laboratory blood tests and could fetch around $5 billion, three people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

J&J has asked JPMorgan Chase & Co to run the sale and is preparing to send detailed financial information in coming weeks to potential buyers, including some of the world's largest private equity firms and a number of healthcare companies, the people said.

Early estimates suggest the unit's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization are between $400 million and $500 million, suggesting a possible valuation of roughly $5 billion, the people said.

The unit, whose tests are considered older and less profitable than modern molecular diagnostics that examine gene mutations for signs of disease, has annual sales of about $2 billion.

The people asked not to be identified discussing details of the process. J&J declined to comment, while a JPMorgan spokeswoman had no immediate comment.

Healthcare conglomerate J&J said in January it would explore strategic alternatives for the unit and cautioned that the process could take anywhere from about 12 to 24 months.

Industrial and healthcare conglomerates General Electric and Danaher Corp. are likely to take a serious look at bidding for the J&J business, said one of the sources and another who had heard about the sales process.

GE declined to comment. A call to Danaher was not immediately returned.

J&J's decision to divest the division comes as drugmakers are shedding businesses and cutting costs due to overseas price controls and pressure on payments from insurers and the government. Pfizer Inc, for instance, just spun off its animal health products business, and Abbott Laboratories split off its branded drugs unit early this year.

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, whose revenue growth has been relatively flat, is No. 5 in the clinical diagnostics market, as measured in sales. Typically, J&J's businesses rank first or second in their respective markets.

Clinical diagnostics are less attractive than molecular diagnostics, which could see strong revenue growth in coming years as examination of genes helps doctors steer patients to appropriate treatments.

But some analysts, including Les Funtleyder of Poliwogg, have said private equity buyers might be interested in the stable cash flow the J&J unit could provide.