FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Dialysis provider Fresenius Medical Care has agreed to merge its U.S. unit Fresenius Health Partners with medical services groups InterWell Health and Cricket Health to expand in the care of earlier stages of kidney disease.
FMC, the world’s largest operator of dialysis centres for patients whose kidneys have failed to cleanse the blood, said in a statement on Monday the combined group would be valued at $2.4 billion with FMC owning a majority stake.
The addition of InterWell, a network of nephrology practices that FMC co-owns, and kidney care provider Cricket will help FMC to expand in the area of kidney disease patients who do not yet require dialysis.
That would increase Fresenius Medical Care’s total addressable market in the U.S. from around $50 billion to around $170 billion, the statement said.
Financial terms were not disclosed. FMC expects the transaction could close in the second half of this year.
The new entity will operate under the InterWell Health brand, it added.
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger, Editing by Miranda Murray)
