German healthcare company Fresenius Medical Care has agreed to divest select laboratory assets to US-based diagnostic information services provider Quest Diagnostics.
Under the terms of the agreement, Quest will acquire select assets of Fresenius Medical Care, held by its subsidiary Spectra Laboratories.
Spectra Laboratories provides renal-specific laboratory testing services in the US.
Under a separate agreement, Quest will provide comprehensive laboratory services related to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD).
It will also offer specialised water testing, served by dialysis centres operated by Fresenius Medical Care and its US subsidiaries and joint-venture partners.
The acquisition is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025, subject to customary state regulatory reviews, and the transition of services by early 2026.
Quest Diagnostics chairman, CEO and president Jim Davis said: “Our relationship with Fresenius Medical Care will extend our industry-leading test portfolio in chronic kidney disease, one of the nation’s most prevalent chronic diseases, to include dialysis-related laboratory and water testing.
“It will also optimise Quest’s national scale to bring high-quality laboratory services closer to FME’s dialysis clinics and the patients under their care across the United States.”
With the acquisition of Fresenius Medical Care’s select laboratory assets, Quest will expand its comprehensive portfolio with additional dialysis-related water testing.
Fresenius Medical Care, other providers and dialysis patients will benefit from Quest’s clinical leadership and diagnostic in chronic kidney disease and transplantation services.
The acquisition will also leverage Quest’s scale, as its laboratories provide testing for dialysis clinics across the US, reducing transportation time and speed to results.
Quest plans to offer testing services across its laboratories during lower-volume daytime hours, optimising the return on capital invested into its laboratory network.
Fresenius Medical Care will continue to execute its plan to divest non-core and dilutive assets, to optimise its portfolio.
Fresenius Medical Care CEO Helen Giza said: “This transaction is part of our comprehensive portfolio optimisation strategy to drive operational efficiencies and will provide enhanced experiences for patients and our clinical employees by integrating Quest Diagnostic’s industry-leading expertise in laboratory medicine into our dialysis centres.
“This agreement is a step forward to allow us to remain focused on our core business of providing world-class dialysis care to every patient every day. Much like Fresenius Medical Care, Quest Diagnostics is passionate about creating a healthier future for patients.
“These shared values, along with Quest’s proven track record for quality care and service, make us confident that they are the right company to continue to deliver a high-quality experience to our patients, physician partners, and clinical staff.”
“ Dechert LLP is serving as legal advisor to Quest Diagnostics on the agreement. The Dechert team advising Quest was led by corporate partner Michael Darby and included associates Gurbir Sandhu and Joy Zhu. “
Recently, Quest Diagnostics and GRAIL launched the initial phase of a new programme to improve access to the former’s Galleri multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test.
