• CyberKnife developer, Accuray (Sunnyvale, California) looks to more than double its size with the acquisition of TomoTherapy (Madison, Wisconsin). Accuray would acquire TomoTherapy for about $277 million or $4.80 per share in cash and stock. The combined company will offer advanced patient-focused technologies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases, ranging from high-precision radio surgery for early-stage and localized disease to image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy for more advanced disease sites throughout the body. TomoTherapy shareholders will receive $3.15 in cash and 0.1648 shares of Accuray common stock per share of TomoTherapy common stock. The transaction, which has been approved by the boards of both companies, is expected to close in 2Q11 or the beginning of 3Q11.

• Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts) said it has completed its acquisition of Atritech (Plymouth, Minnesota). The company reported plans to buy Atritech in January for $100 million upfront plus potential payments of up to $275 million through 2015. Atritech's Watchman left atrial appendage closure technology gives Boston Scientific a product designed for atrial fibrillation patients with high stroke risk. Atritech has completed PROTECT-AF, an 800-patient randomized clinical trial of its Watchman device that demonstrated a 38% relative risk reduction for stroke, cardiovascular death and systemic embolism compared to long-term warfarin therapy. The company expects the transaction to be roughly one to two cents dilutive to earnings per share (EPS) on a GAAP basis in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and accretive thereafter; on an adjusted basis, the transaction is expected to be about one cent dilutive to EPS in 2011 and 2012, and accretive thereafter.

• DJO (San Diego), a provider of medical device solutions for musculoskeletal health, vascular health and pain management, reported that one of its indirect subsidiaries, has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Rikco International/Dr. Comfort (Mequon, Wisconsin), for about $254.6 million in cash.

• A merger agreement between Daiichi Sakyo (Tokyo) and Plexxikon (Berkeley, California) just shy of $1 billion could lead to better personalized treatments for melanoma patients. Daiichi Sankyo reported that it would acquire Plexxikon for $805 million with near-term milestone payments associated with the approval of PLX4032 that could $130 million. Plexxikon's PLX4032 is an oral, drug that targets the oncogenic BRAF mutation present in about half of melanoma cancers and about 8% of all solid tumors. Plexxicon and its co-development partner, Roche (Basel, Switzerland) reported a plan to file for market approval of the drug in the U.S. and Europe this year, along with a diagnostic test. The test would be used to identify patients, whose tumors carry the V600 mutation, which account for nearly half of all melanoma cases.

• Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, California) reported that it has completed the acquisition of Embrella Cardiovascular (Wayne, Pennsylvania), the developer of the Embrella Embolic Deflector System, which can be used during transcatheter heart valve procedures. The purchase price was about $43 million cash. Additionally, the company is maintaining its earnings guidance for the year. The single-use, disposable Embrella device is placed in the aorta through a sheath inserted in the right brachial or right radial artery. Its porous membrane allows blood flow to the brain while simultaneously deflecting embolic material.

• Harris Corp. (Melbourne, Florida) and Johns Hopkins Medicine (Baltimore) reported a joint venture to develop next-generation medical image management solutions. The collaboration brings together Harris' health information and security technologies with Johns Hopkins' clinical expertise to fuel innovations in medical image management. The Harris and Johns Hopkins venture will focus on developing medical image management solutions to be deployed by the Johns Hopkins Health System and later, to hospitals and healthcare providers around the country.

• Quest Diagnostics (Madison, New Jersey) said it would add Celera (Alameda, California), a pioneering genetic diagnostics firm, in a merger deal valued at just over $670 million. The companies said they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Quest will pay $8 a share for Celera, with the transaction having already been approved by the boards of both companies. The deal is expected to close at the end of April.

• Thermo Fisher Scientific (Waltham, Massachusetts) reported that it has signed definitive agreements to sell Athena Diagnostics (Worcester, Massachusetts) to Quest Diagnostics (Madison, New Jersey) for $740 million. Athena is a reference laboratory that provides comprehensive diagnostic testing for neurological and other diseases, with an emphasis on gene-based tests. Thermo Fisher also reached an agreement to sell Lancaster Laboratories (Lancaster, Pennsylvania) to Eurofins Scientific (Brussels, Belgium) for $200 million, subject to a post-closing adjustment. Lancaster Laboratories is a contract-testing laboratory that provides comprehensive analytical services for pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and environmental sciences customers. Thermo Fisher expects to close these transactions in 2Q11, subject to customary closing conditions and applicable regulatory approvals.