Microsoft Acquires Rosetta Biosoftware

Microsoft signed an agreement June 1 with Merck & Co. to acquire certain assets of Rosetta Biosoftware, enabling Microsoft to incorporate genetic, genomic, metabolomic and proteomics data management software into the Microsoft Amalga Life Sciences platform for enhanced translational research capabilities.

In turn, Merck will become a customer of the Microsoft Amalga Life Sciences and also provide strategic input to Microsoft on the direction and evolution of new solutions incorporating Rosetta Biosoftware technologies.

Financial terms of the agreement were not released, but the transaction is expected to close by the end of June. The new Amalga Life Sciences platform incorporating Rosetta Biosoftware technologies is scheduled to be available in early 2010.

"This agreement establishes a stable and sustainable platform for the Rosetta Biosoftware technology. In addition, we look forward to collaborating with Microsoft to develop new bioinformatic solutions to enable and expedite drug discovery and development," Rupert Vessey, vice president of Merck Research Laboratories, said in a statement. "This is part of our previously announced strategy designed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our basic research operations to ensure long-term pipeline productivity."

Released in April 2009, Microsoft Amalga Life Sciences is a software platform for health and life sciences research data. The platform aids life sciences organizations by automating the management and analysis of massive, heterogeneous research data.

"We're excited to collaborate with Merck and augment the capabilities of Amalga Life Sciences with the complementary assets of Rosetta Biosoftware," said Peter Neupert, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Health Solutions Group.

According to Microsoft, the company is pursuing hiring Rosetta Biosoftware employees who can fill roles that are critical to the effective incorporation of Rosetta Biosoftware technologies into the Amalga Life Sciences platform. Until the deal is closed, Rosetta Biosoftware will continue to operate as a business unit of Rosetta Inpharmatics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck.