NeoGenomics said today it has agreed to acquire Clarient and its wholly-owned subsidiary Clarient Diagnostic Services from GE Healthcare. The deal, valued at up to $275.2 million, is intended to create a larger and broader provider of precision oncology diagnostics.

NeoGenomics said the acquisition will enable it to expand its offering of cancer diagnostic tests to hospitals and physicians nationwide, as well as speed its growth in the global market for pharmaceutical clinical trials and research.

The buyer said Clarient's pathology services and capabilities in the analysis of solid tumor cancers of the breast, colon, and lung were “highly complementary” to its molecular testing services and extensive expertise in testing for hematologic cancers.NeoGenomics added that the acquisition will allow the combined company to further leverage its existing laboratory facilities and infrastructure to drive productivity and lower operating costs.

“Our vision is to become America's premier cancer testing laboratory, and this acquisition is a major step forward in achieving that vision,” NeoGenomics chairman and CEO Douglas VanOort said in a statement. “We have always respected Clarient's outstanding capabilities, and are very pleased to be able to combine them with our own outstanding service offering.”