Vitrolife becomes majority owner of Italian distributor

Vitrolife is acquiring 51 percent of the shares in A.T.S. Srl, the distributor of Vitrolife’s products in Italy since 1999. The acquisition is in line with Vitrolife’s strategy to operate under its own management in key markets and increases the opportunities for A.T.S. to be more aggressive and be able to increase the market share in the Italian market.

“We have previously spoken of increased ambitions with regard to direct market presence in our key markets. By going into A.T.S. we are being more aggressive in Italy together with our Italian distributor. We feel that there is more potential in the Italian market. Our distributor has long experience of both our products and the market and will now be able to make the necessary investments in order to expand,” says Vitrolife’s CEO Magnus Nilsson.

The seller of the shares is Paolo Trabucchi, one of the founders and previously the sole owner of A.T.S.

Vitrolife has an option to acquire a further 9 percent of the shares within 6 months and subsequently a further 10 percent within 12 months, that is a total of 70 percent. For the Vitrolife Group as a whole the acquisition will initially have a marginal effect on net income and sales, after the elimination of internal sales.

Approximately 24,000 infertility treatments are performed in Italy per year and the number of fertility centers amounts to approximately 300. The potential market value for instruments and media amounts to SEK 40-50 million.




January 31, 2008
Kungsbacka, Sweden

Magnus Nilsson
CEO





Queries should be addressed to:
Magnus Nilsson, CEO, phone +46 31 721 80 00 or +46 708 22 80 61.
Anna Ahlberg, CFO, phone +46 31 721 80 13 or +46 708 22 80 13.