Labcorp buys MLM Medical Labs, becoming only central lab spanning four continents
What's the deal? LabcorpDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired MLM Medical LabsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a central and specialty laboratory provider with operations in the United States, Germany, and South Africa. Financial terms were not disclosed. The move strengthens Labcorp's central laboratory services for clinical trial sponsors, adding biomarker and specialty testing capabilities.
The expansion angle: The deal establishes Labcorp as the only central laboratory provider with a wholly owned laboratory network across four continents — North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. In Africa, MLM operates the continent's first fully accredited central laboratory under the College of American Pathologists (CAP) standard.
Why now? Clinical trials are growing more complex and multinational, requiring consistent scientific and regulatory oversight across regions. Labcorp says it is meeting sponsors' evolving needs for global reach and operational flexibility.
What's the endgame? Labcorp wants to serve sponsors of all sizes, from emerging biotechs to large pharmaceutical companies, from a single partner. The combination pairs Labcorp's global scale with MLM's laboratory network and service model.
"Clinical trial sponsors today need scientific expertise, global reach and operational flexibility to advance increasingly complex development programs," said Brian Caveney, chief medical and scientific officer at Labcorp. "MLM complements Labcorp's existing strengths and enhances our ability to support sponsors of all sizes."
Labcorp's nearly 71,000 employees serve clients in roughly 100 countries. In 2025, the company supported more than 85% of new drugs and therapeutic products approved by the Food and Drug Administration and performed over 750 million tests.
EvercoreDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → was exclusive financial advisor to Labcorp; Pierson FerdinandDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Hogan LovellsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → served as legal counsel.
The signal: The acquisition reflects continued consolidation in central laboratory services, as diagnostics giants expand geographic footprints to capture multinational trial work. Owning labs across four continents lets Labcorp offer regulatory and scientific consistency that fragmented rivals cannot easily match.
Image credit: US Army Africa
