McKesson to Acquire Awarix

According to McKesson, the Awarix solution is designed to identify and eliminate the bottlenecks that delay treatment and extend a patient's stay. Information aggregated from clinical, ADT (admission, discharge and transfer), housekeeping and transportation systems are displayed on large electronic "whiteboards," enabling caregivers to identify patients with orders pending or critical laboratory results, contends the company.

Siemens to Acquire Dade Behring

Germany-based Siemens Medical Solutions has inked a deal to buy Dade Behring Inc. in a deal worth $7 billion.

According to Siemens, the acquisition will strengthen its clinical footprint. Deerfield, Ill.-headquartered Dade Behring is a clinical laboratory diagnostics company that provides equipment and solutions for routine chemistry testing, immuno-diagnostics, hemostasis testing and microbiology.

Siemens intends to acquire all outstanding shares of Dade for $77 per common share.

Siemens Medical Solutions, part of the electrical engineering and electronics company, Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich), expects the closing in the second quarter of fiscal 2008.

PSS Invests in athenahealth

PSS World Medical Inc. (Jacksonville, Fla.) has made a $22.5 million equity investment, approximately 5 percent of current outstanding shares, in athenahealth Inc. (Watertown, Mass.), a provider of Internet-based healthcare information technology and business services to physician practices. According to PSS, it purchased shares of athenahealth from existing shareholders.

Additionally, PSS contends the company's Physician Business, Physician Sales & Service, has entered into a two-year exclusive distribution agreement with athenahealth to market its Web-based practice management, billing and electronic medical record (EMR) solutions to the U.S. physician market.

athenahealth will also provide product and customer support services to PSS's physician customers, says the company.