Carl Zeiss Meditec announced today that it entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Dutch Ophthalmic Research Center.
The Germany-based company acquired DORC from the France-based investment firm Eurazeo. It expects the acquisition to enhance and complement its broad ophthalmic portfolio and range of digitally connected workflow solutions. The company develops offerings that address eye conditions such as retinal disorders, cataracts, glaucoma and refractive errors.
Carl Zeiss Meditec values the deal at €985 million (approximately $1.07 billion). It expects the deal to close in the first half of the 2024 calendar year.
The company said in a news release that the acquisition expands its position in the vitreo-retinal surgery segment. It also believes the deal strengthens its position as “the fastest-growing manufacturer of ophthalmic medical devices globally.” DORC’s portfolio includes devices, disposables and liquids for ophthalmic surgeries.
DORC also offers the dual-function Eva Nexustm platform. This offering represents the core of the company’s portfolio, Carl Zeiss Meditec said.
Euan S. Thomson, head of ophthalmology and digital business for Zeiss Medical Technology, said the deal enhances the company’s retina workflow and overall portfolios for both the posterior and anterior surgery segments.
“With the acquisition of [DORC], we’ll bring together two highly innovative ophthalmic powerhouses to accelerate Zeiss’ position in the vitreo-retinal surgery segment and extend our leadership in the ophthalmic medical devices market,” said Dr. Markus Weber, president and CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec.
DORC CEO Pierre Billardon called Zeiss “a market leader and visionary.”
“We’ve built an amazing business with innovative, market-leading products and look forward to seizing this opportunity for growth and advancing the future of ophthalmic surgery,” he said. “I am personally proud and immensely grateful to all of the team at DORC for their commitment and expertise to help patients see again.”
