In what is looking to be first med-tech acquisition reaching the billion dollar mark this year, GE Healthcare (Chalfont, UK) reported its intent to acquire Thermo Fisher's (Waltham, Massachusetts) HyClone cell culture media and sera, and gene modulation and magnetic beads businesses for about $1.06 billion. The acquisition will allow GE to expand its offering of technologies for the discovery and manufacturing of innovative new medicines, vaccines and diagnostics in its growing life sciences business.