Invitrogen to buy CellzDirect for $57 mln

CHICAGO, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Invitrogen Corp IVGN.O said on Thursday it would buy privately held CellzDirect Inc for $57 million.

Invitrogen, a drug discovery company, said the deal will be neutral to its earnings in fiscal 2008 and add to earnings in fiscal 2009.

CellzDirect, based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, provides hepatocyte-based cell products and related services used in the testing of new drugs. Primary human hepatocytes are the most accepted model for predicting a compound's effects on enzymatic metabolism in the liver.

(Reporting by Debra Sherman; Editing by John Wallace)

((debra.sherman@reuters.com; + 312 408 8134; Reuters Messaging: debra.sherman.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: INVITROGEN/

(C) Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution ofReuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expresslyprohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuterssphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group ofcompanies around the world.nWNAS6137