Charles River Laboratories, an American pharmaceutical company, agreed to acquire Vigene Biosciences, a gene therapy contract development and manufacturing organization, from Signet Healthcare Partners, an institutional investor, for $350m, consisting of $292.5m in cash and contingent additional payments of $57.5m based on future performance. The transaction is expected to close in the beginning of the third quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory requirements and customary closing conditions. “The addition of Vigene Biosciences’ extensive gene therapy expertise will enable us to expand our comprehensive cell and gene therapy portfolio to span each of the major CDMO platforms – cell therapy, viral vector, and plasmid DNA production. In these emerging, high-growth, value-added segments, we intend to continue to differentiate ourselves by bringing our high-science, customizable approach to support the complex needs of cell and gene therapy developers and innovators worldwide," James C. Foster, Charles River Laboratories Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.