IBM to Buy Truven Health Analytics

Specialist data analytics division IBM Watson Health has announced plans to acquire healthcare data specialist Truven Health Analytics for $2.6bn.

Previously part of Thomson Reuters, but sold to private equity firm Veritas Capital in 2012 for $1.25bn, Truven provides data, analytics and performance benchmarking services to companies, government agencies and healthcare professionals. The firm also offers a range of solutions - such as research database MarketScan, healthcare payer decision tool Advantage Suite, clinical reference Micromedex, reporting suite CareDiscovery, and hospital operating trends tool ActionOI - combined with expert analysis.

If the deal goes ahead, Truven will add more than 8,500 clients to IBM Watson Health's portfolio, and the latter's 'health cloud' will house health-related data representing an aggregate of approximately 300 million patients. The deal is IBM's fourth health-related acquisition since launching the Watson Health unit in April 2015, and upon close, IBM will have invested more than $4bn to acquire an array of cognitive healthcare capabilities.

Deborah DiSanzo (pictured), General Manager for IBM Watson Health, comments: 'With this acquisition, IBM will be one of the world's leading health data, analytics and insights companies, and the only one that can deliver the unique cognitive capabilities of the Watson platform. Together, we're well positioned to scale globally and to build first-in-class offerings designed to help our clients apply cognitive insights in a value-based care environment.'

Web sites: www.ibm.com and www.truvenhealth.com .