The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Cell Marque, established in 1994, designs, develops and manufactures antibody reagents and kits, an offering that will complement Sigma-Aldrich's IHC product family.

"We expect that Cell Marque's strong in vitro diagnostic (IVD) antibody product lines and solid relationships with pathologists and companies that provide automated staining instrumentation will broaden the diagnostic health reach of Sigma-Aldrich," commented Dr Frank Wicks, president, applied business unit, Sigma-Aldrich.

The company expects this acquisition to be neutral to mildly accretive to earnings per share in 2015. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, is anticipated to close by the end of 2014.

Cell Marque is well-recognized in IHC for its high quality products and technical expertise, including validated, fit-for-purpose antibodies and IHC staining kits aimed at pathologists and clinicians focused on patient management. The company employs more than 90 people.

Ms Nora Lacey, president and CEO, Cell Marque said, "..... being a member of the Sigma-Aldrich family will bring our customers a partner with the depth and breadth of resources to continually innovate and expand upon our product offering...."

Interestingly Sigma-Aldrich was in turn acquired by Merck KGaA in September 2014 for $17 billion.