Diagnostic imaging chain diversifies, adding urology group and its 16 locations
A growing diagnostic imaging chain has inked a new “strategic acquisition,” adding a urology group and its 16 locations.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Affidea is one of the largest radiology providers in Europe, operating a network of 391 centers spanning 15 countries. Backed by investment firm Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, the organization is now acquiring the Uroviva Group, leaders announced April 3.
German Equity Partners IV—a fund managed by investment firm ECM and founding physicians—is the seller. Uroviva Group is one of Switzerland’s “foremost” urology providers, with 250 employees including 55 physicians also specializing in oncology and gynecology.
Affidea said the acquisition complements its outpatient diagnostic imaging services and “strong breast cancer care pathway.” Adding Uroviva will allow the radiology group to develop an “adjacent prostate cancer pathway,” with synergies across pathology, radiology and oncology.
“By bringing together Switzerland’s foremost urology provider with our existing expertise, we are creating an integrated platform that spans the entire patient journey—from early detection to advanced treatment and long-term surveillance,” Dr. Charles Niehaus, executive director of the Affidea Group, said in a statement. “It means faster diagnoses, more precise treatments, and a truly coordinated care experience that puts [patients’] needs at the center, now with one more cancer care pathway fully integrated, focused on prostate,” he added later.
With the addition, Affidea will double its size in Switzerland, from 16 to 33 centers and 450 up to 700 employees. The company touted its unique model of integrated care, allowing it to offer patients diagnostic imaging, personalized treatment plans, and continued radiologic monitoring of conditions.
This marks the second acquisition for Affidea in Switzeralnd after it also on April 2 announced the purchase of two pathology laboratories. Affidea bills itself as the largest provider of diagnostic imaging, outpatient care, and radiotherapy services in Europe, handling 20 million scans annually.
Founded in 1991, investors acquired the company in 2022 from Switzerland’s wealthiest individual, Ernesto Bertarelli. At the time, owners committed to invest upward of $1.1 billion into the imaging group. Affidea scored $216 million in growth capital one year ago, with plans for continued growth through acquisition.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.