J&J Accepts Platinum Equity’s $2.1B Offer for its LifeScan Subsidiary; Receives Offer for Advanced Sterilization Products Subsidiary

On June 12, 2018, Johnson & Johnson announced acceptance of an offer from Platinum Equity, a private investment firm, to acquire its diabetic monitoring unit, LifeScan, for approximately $2.1 billion. In response to the acquisition, Platinum Equity Chairman and CEO Tom Gores said

LifeScan offers blood glucose monitoring products to patients for the care of diabetes under the OneTouch brand. According to the press release, LifeScan business earned approximately $1.5 billion in revenue in 2017. Platinum Equity previously reported that LifeScan President Valerie Asbury would continue leading the business.

In February 2018, Bloomberg reported that Johnson & Johnson was seeking to sell off its sterilization products division for as much as $2 billion. The selling price has increased as Johnson & Johnson announced on June 6, 2018, receipt of a binding offer from Fortive Corp. to acquire Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP), a division of Ethicon Inc., for approximately $2.8 billion. If accepted, Johnson & Johnson indicated it expects the proposed transaction to close no later than early 2019.

ASP sells sterilization products under the STERRAD and CYCLESURE brands. ASP’s high level disinfection products are sold under the EVOTECH brand. Johnson & Johnson reported that ASP earned approximately $775 million in revenue in 2017.