Halma acquires Rovers Medical Devices

Halma announced that it has acquired Rovers Medical Devices (Rovers).

Cervical cancer claims a woman’s life every two minutes. It is the fourth most common cancer among women globally. However, it is one of the most treatable forms of cancer if diagnosed early. In November 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a public health concern and launched a strategy to prevent cervical cancer by 2030, through increased pro-active screening.

Rovers, headquartered in Oss in the Netherlands, was founded in 1982 to enable better screening of cancers, aligning to Halma’s purpose to grow a safer, cleaner and healthier future for everyone, every day. Its innovative and market-leading brushes, used in more than 90 countries, can either be used by professionals or by patients at home to self-sample – leading to more accurate and easier diagnosis, ultimately saving lives.

“We want to contribute to the prevention of cancer on a global scale. This mission strongly aligns to Halma’s when it comes to improving quality of care for patients. Many physicians work with us to develop the highest quality screening products that are most effective for their patients. By joining the Halma Group, Rovers can grow to the next level, adding talent development and commercial opportunities while collaborating with a global group of like-minded businesses, that will help us to enable better screening and diagnostics for patients worldwide.”

The Women’s Health market is a strategic priority for Halma and the acquisition of Rovers complements other healthcare businesses in the portfolio, including IZI and PeriGen.

Marc Ronchetti, Group Chief Executive of Halma, said: “Rovers will broaden the range of markets we serve in women’s health and further strengthen our Healthcare sector’s position in cancer diagnosis products. We are excited by the opportunities we see to increase Rovers’ positive impact on public health. We expect its future growth to be driven by increasing global cervical screening rates, supporting the World Health Organization’s strategy to accelerate the early detection of cervical cancer.”

This financial year, Halma has spent £285m on acquisitions across all three Sectors, and multiple geographies, strengthening its portfolio of companies.

Rovers will be a standalone company within Halma’s Healthcare sector, led by its current management team.
MB Bureau