Steris (Mentor, Ohio) reported the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire all the outstanding shares of privately-owned United States Endoscopy Group (Mentor, Ohio), a company that develops therapeutic and diagnostic medical devices and support accessories used in the gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy markets worldwide, for $270 million. With the acquisition of US Endoscopy, Steris said it will significantly expand its presence in the GI market and gain direct access to the procedural spaces in the GI market with a franchise of proprietary, single-use consumable medical devices.

Luminex (Austin, Texas) reported a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held, GenturaDx (Hayward, California), a molecular diagnostics company focused on making nucleic acid testing both affordable and practical for any laboratory.

The American Cancer Society (Atlanta) estimates that more than 103,000 new cases of colon cancer will be reported in 2012 in the U.S. alone. Some patients with colon cancer may experience colonic obstruction, which can be painful and uncomfortable. A newly cleared colonic stent from Cook Medical (Bloomington, Indiana) can help physicians reduce the symptoms associated with obstruction, which can include abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, difficult defecation, constipation, diarrhea and GI tract bleeding.