Exclusive- Carestream Health for sale, may fetch $3.5 billion - sources

By Soyoung Kim

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Carestream Health Inc, which provides medical imaging systems and other healthcare technology solutions, is looking for a buyer in a deal that could fetch as much as $3.5 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Carestream, which was acquired by private equity firm Onex Corp for $2.35 billion in 2007, has hired Goldman Sachs Group and Bank of America Merrill Lynch to run a sale process, the people said.

The Rochster, New York-based company was formed in 2007 when the Canadian buyout firm bought Eastman Kodak Company's health group and renamed the business Carestream. The company provides digital X-ray systems, molecular imaging systems and dental imaging products, software and services.

The auction of Carestream, which is in early stages, has drawn initial interest from several large private equity firms, the people said, adding that industry buyers are less likely to participate. First-round offers are due this week, one of the people added.

Carestream has around $450 million in annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and could be sold for 7 to 8 times EBITDA, two of the people said.

All the people asked not to be named because the auction is not public. A Carestream spokesman said the company does not comment on rumor or speculation. Onex could not be immediately reached for comment, while Goldman Sachs and Bank of America had no immediate comment.

(Reporting by Soyoung Kim in New York; Editing by Gary Hill)