GE HealthCare has agreed to acquire SOFIE Biosciences, a contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) specialising in positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceuticals, from Trilantic North America in a $945m deal.
Under the all-cash transaction, which is anticipated to close in H1 2027, GE HealthCare will inherit SOFIE’s US network of 15 CMO sites and its theranostics-focused contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) site.
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Broadening GE HealthCare’s footprint in the US radiopharmaceutical industry, the imaging giant stated that the acquisition will help drive patient access to novel radiopharmaceuticals such as its existing line of F-18 radioactive diagnostic agents, including Flyrcado, that are used in PET imaging.
SOFIE already manufactures GE HealthCare’s Flyrcado, a myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) radiopharmaceutical that obtained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in September 2024.
Radiopharmaceuticals are drugs that contain a radioactive isotope combined with a targeting molecule such as a peptide to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
Meanwhile, SOFIE’s acquisition will give GE HealthCare’s pharmaceutical diagnostics (PDx) segment the ability to participate in other high-growth areas outside its own product portfolio, the company stated.
In a research note, Navann Ty, senior analyst at BNP Paribas Equity Research, called GE HealthCare’s acquisition a “solid addition” to its PDx segment that may help with “supply and ramp up” of Flyrcado.
Kevin O’Neill, president and CEO of the PDx segment at GE HealthCare, commented: “The PET radiopharmaceutical market is expanding rapidly with the introduction of innovative radiotracers and advances in precision care, including the growing adoption of targeted therapies.
“As part of GE HealthCare, SOFIE Biosciences is expected to grow in the low double digits and enables us to participate across the radiopharmaceutical value stream, meeting customer demand through a mix of GE HealthCare owned and partner facilities.
“We will leverage our scale and expertise in radiopharmaceutical manufacturing across the US, Europe and Japan to further invest in and grow SOFIE Biosciences, helping improve patient access, strengthen reliability of supply, and support the next generation of precision care products.”
Once GE HealthCare’s acquisition closes in H1 2027, SOFIE Biosciences will continue to operate as an independent manufacturing partner to its customers, supplying its existing product portfolio, including products from other leading radiopharmaceutical providers.
SOFIE’s president and CEO, Patrick Phelps, commented: “With Trilantic North America’s support, we have significantly expanded our capabilities and scale, and we share GE HealthCare’s ambition to improve patient outcomes by delivering on the promise of radiopharmaceuticals as we look ahead to our next phase of growth.”
GlobalData analysis reveals that while the PET imaging agent market was valued at $2.1bn in 2025, it lags behind single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), which was valued at $4.7bn. However, between 2025 and 2035, PET agents are projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.6%, representing a growth rate 5.5x higher than the projected growth of SPECT agents.
To meet the anticipated uptick in the PET market, Siemens Healthineers completed a $43.6m expansion project at its PET Detector Center in Tennessee in September, readying the site to meet rising customer demand for PET/computed tomography (CT) scanners used alongside radiopharmaceutical agents.
