Merge Healthcare to acquire California firm

Merge Healthcare, which has headquarters in Chicago and Hartland, Wis., has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ophthalmic Imaging Systems (OIS) of Sacramento, Calif.
Under the terms of the agreement, OIS shareholders will receive 0.1693 share of Merge Healthcare common stock for each share of OIS common stock. The exchange ratio was calculated to equal $1.00 per OIS share using the five-day volume-weighted average price of Merge Healthcare common stock as of the close of trading on June 3, which was the last trading day before the definitive merger agreement was signed.
Based on currently outstanding shares of OIS common stock, the aggregate value of the Merge Healthcare common stock to be issued as consideration will be approximately $30.3 million, before anticipated costs related to outstanding OIS debt, options and warrants.
Upon the closing of this merger, Merge Healthcare will add ophthalmic imaging and informatics to its current portfolio of enterprise imaging solutions for radiology, cardiology and orthopaedics; a suite of products for clinical trials; software for financial and pre-surgical management; and applications that fuel the largest modality vendors in the world.
“Merge Healthcare is a leader in virtually every image-intensive healthcare specialty, and with OIS we will add the important specialty of ophthalmology,” said Jeff Surges, chief executive officer of Merge Healthcare. “Demand for ophthalmic imaging solutions is increasing due to factors such as an aging population, improved treatment results based on early disease recognition and increased incidence of visual impairment, as well as the growing need for portable diagnostic equipment. OIS is a recognized leader in ophthalmic imaging and informatics. The OIS solution suite and client base of prominent clinics and hospital networks are an ideal complement to our enterprise imaging capabilities and will be a great addition to our solutions portfolio.”