Dive Brief:
- Roche has agreed to acquire PathAI, a Boston-based digital pathology firm, for up to $1.05 billion.
- Roche plans to pay $750 million upfront and up to $300 million in additional milestone payments, according to a Thursday announcement.
- The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including antitrust and regulatory approvals.
Dive Insight:
Digital pathology can help automate manual workflows, creating digital images from physical tissue on slides. By having access to digital images, pathologists can use artificial intelligence tools for diagnostic workflows and provide faster results to patients.
PathAI makes AI models that help with the analysis of patient tissue samples and diagnostic tools. Roche has partnered with the company since 2021, expanding their agreement in 2024 to include the development of AI-enabled companion diagnostic algorithms. With the acquisition, Roche plans to scale PathAI’s digital pathology platform globally.
Roche Diagnostics CEO Matt Sause said the company plans to combine PathAI’s digital pathology tools with Roche’s oncology diagnosis platforms.
“Digital pathology has the potential to improve precision diagnosis of cancer and enable physicians to offer better tailored treatment regimens,” Sause said in a statement.
PathAI also has solutions for clinical trial support and translational research, which Roche believes will pair well with its expertise in companion diagnostics, helping biopharma companies identify new biomarkers and potential drug targets.
Digital pathology has been the focus of other recent deals. Earlier this year, Labcorp expanded a collaboration with PathAI to use its platform at Labcorp’s anatomic pathology labs and hospital sites. Last year, Tempus AI acquired digital pathology firm Paige for just over $81 million.
