Cerba HealthCare, a leading player in medical diagnosis, has concluded an agreement to take over the Labexa Group, a leading clinical pathology group in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region. As a result of the move, four subsidiaries, 1,000 employees and 94 sites located across south-west France should join the Cerballiance national network of local clinical pathology laboratories.

The merger will enable both groups to continue their development on the French clinical pathology market. Cerballiance, the Cerba HealthCare’s national network of clinical pathology laboratories, already serves over 70,000 patients a day at almost 500 locations across mainland France and Reunion although does not currently have a presence in Nouvelle Aquitaine. The Labexa Group and its subsidiaries Accolab, Exalab, LBA and Sealab benefit from an unrivalled presence in south-west France and an in-depth understanding of local players, from private healthcare professionals to private and public healthcare organisations.

Catherine Courboillet, CEO of Cerba HealthCare, commented: “We are proud and delighted to welcome the Labexa teams to Cerba HealthCare. The business ties between our two groups go back over 20 years and we have a shared vision of commitment to patients, medical innovation, and the importance of local services. These shared values, the complementarity of our territorial networks, and a common approach to entrepreneurship, in particular through the significant participation of clinical pathologists in the capital of our organisations, make this merger a natural step for both groups and lay the foundation for a smooth integration”.

Philippe Brochet, President of Labexa, added: “Our strong regional presence, knowledge of local ecosystems and local service culture will continue to play a key role in supporting and improving patient care pathways. This merger will take the Labexa group to a new level in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region. Joining the Cerba HealthCare Group will enable us to quickly expand our services and provide a greater breadth of scientific expertise and a more comprehensive diagnostic offering to patients and the medical community alike, while staying true to our values of respect, commitment, and professionalism. We are confident that this will add value for both patients and physicians, which is why all our teams are delighted to be joining the Cerba HealthCare Group”.

Completion of the merger is subject to approval of the French Competition Authority.