Thermo Fisher Scientific to sell microbiology business to Astorg in over US$1B strategic divestment

USA—Thermo Fisher Scientific has agreed to sell its microbiology business to private equity firm Astorg in a deal valued at more than US$1 billion, as the company continues to reshape its portfolio toward biopharmaceutical services.

The company expects the transaction to close in the second half of 2026 and plans to update investors on the deal’s financial impact during its second-quarter earnings call.

Chief executive Marc N. Casper said the transaction reflects active portfolio management and provides additional capital for value creation.

Strategic portfolio shift

Thermo Fisher’s microbiology unit generated US$645 million in revenue in 2025 and operates within the company’s specialty diagnostics segment.

The business employs about 2,400 staff and runs 13 manufacturing and research and development sites across global markets.

Despite this scale, Thermo Fisher continues to reallocate resources toward higher-growth biopharma services, including drug development and clinical research support.

Industry context and comparable moves

Analysts note that Thermo Fisher’s divestment aligns with a broader industry trend of diagnostics companies exiting traditional microbiology as molecular diagnostics and mass spectrometry technologies gain traction.

Similar restructuring activity has emerged across the sector, including Becton, Dickinson and Company’s US$17.5 billion divestment of its Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions business to Waters Corporation in 2025.

Thermo Fisher also acquired Solventum’s purification and filtration unit for US$4.1 billion and purchased clinical trial services provider Clario in a US$8.8 billion transaction, reinforcing its expansion into biopharma services.

Regulatory and technology pressures

Industry experts argue that in vitro diagnostics faces increasing volatility as regulatory frameworks tighten and technology evolves.

Challenges in implementing the European Union in vitro diagnostics regulation have slowed product approvals and created uncertainty for manufacturers operating in the region.

According to sector commentary, culture-based microbiology methods are gradually being replaced by faster analytical techniques, such as mass spectrometry, although reference laboratories remain essential for complex cases.

Operational positioning and recent communications

In recent investor communications, Thermo Fisher has reiterated its focus on scaling its biopharma services and laboratory workflow solutions to support pharmaceutical clients.

The company continues to emphasize integrated service models that combine laboratory instrumentation with data-driven research capabilities across clinical development pipelines.

Astorg, meanwhile, stated that it will collaborate with existing management teams to expand operational efficiency and accelerate commercial growth across the microbiology platform following completion of the transaction.

Workforce and global footprint

The microbiology business maintains a global footprint across North America, Europe, and Asia, supporting hospital laboratories and research institutions with diagnostic solutions used in infectious disease identification.

Following the divestment, Thermo Fisher will continue to support transition arrangements to ensure continuity of services for existing customers and partners.

The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals and to the fulfillment of closing conditions now.