Zurich - The Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche would acquire German cell analysis firm Innovatis for 15 million euros, the two companies announced Monday.

"This acquisition is a further step in our strategy to strengthen our position as a complete solution provider in the cell analysis research market," Jurgen Schwiezer, from Roche's diagnostics division, said in a statement.

Innovatis, a privately held company based in Bielefeld, Germany is a "leading provider of automated cell analysis solutions, especially focusing on cell counting, viability testing, and call function analysis in research, as well as bioproduction," the company said on its Website.

The German company would become a fully-integrated part of Roche once the deal was completed, most likely in the upcoming weeks. (dpa)