Behring Diagnostics' acquisitions of Syva spawns $700 million force

Health Industry Today, August, 1995

The deal combines the former Syva, which had its strength in drug monitoring and urine and serum toxicology products, with Behring Diagnostics' business, which focuses on worldwide immunodiagnostics, serum protein analysis and coagulation. Syva had 1994 sales of $204 million, while Behring Diagnostics posted 1994 sales of $502 million.

The deal was mandated last year when the former Syva Co. was previously acquired by Roche through that company's purchase of Syntex Laboratories, Inc., Palo Alto, Calif. As a condition of that agreement, the Federal Trade Commission required Roche to divest Syva. An agreement to sell Syva to Behring Diagnostics was reached last February.

The expanded Behring Diagnostics Inc. will relocate its North American headquarters to San Jose from Westwood, Mass., though research and development, site administration and product marketing and manufacturing will be located in both Westwood and San Jose.

Several changes in the senior sales and marketing teams were also announced by Behring Diagnostics. John Sullivan, president and CEO of Behring Diagnostics Inc. in the U.S.A., was named head of the Americas business unit of Behring Diagnostics. David Oxlade is now president of the Syva business line. Former Syva chairman and president Richard Bastliani has left the company. David Kuhn, Syva's vice president of marketing, David Andrews, its vice president of distributors and international sales, and Ray Earl, vice president of sales for Syva, will join the new Behring Diagnostics company.