Haemonetics and CSL Plasma have announced an agreement to transfer ownership of Haemonetics' Union, South Carolina, manufacturing facility, operating assets and certain inventories to CSL Plasma. The facility produces liquid saline and sodium citrate, which are solutions used in the plasmapheresis, or plasma collection, process. CSL Plasma provides plasma to global biotechnology leader CSL Behring as the key raw material in developing and delivering medicines for people with rare and serious diseases in more than 60 countries around the world.
Under the terms of the agreement, at closing of the transaction CSL Plasma will obtain ownership and operational control of the facility, including property and equipment. In addition, through this transaction approximately 200 Haemonetics employees working in the Union, South Carolina, facility will be given the opportunity to become CSL Plasma employees.
"This facility transfer is an important step in our asset optimization strategy, allowing us to improve our operating performance and focus on our core competencies. We will continue to redeploy our resources to invest in areas that hold the greatest potential for growth as we develop medical technology products and services that improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of patient care," Chris Simon, Haemonetics' President and CEO, said.
"This transaction is an additional step to vertically integrate our supply chain, but more importantly, it provides CSL Plasma the ability to continue to deliver on its promise to patients who depend on life-saving therapy derived from plasma," Mike Deem, CSL Plasma Inc. Senior Vice President and General Manager, said.
The transaction is expected to close within the current quarter, subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions and a regulatory notification. Haemonetics also announced that it has updated its fiscal 2020 guidance assuming the closing of the transaction.