Merck KGaA

Bio-Techne Corporation shareholders voted on September 23 to approve the company's acquisition by Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, while rejecting the executive compensation proposal attached to the deal. The German group is paying $73 a share in cash, valuing the business at about $11.3 billion including debt. The shares closed at $72.57 on September 24, which is 43 cents below what the buyer has agreed to pay. The antitrust waiting period in the United States expired on September 18, removing the hurdle that most often delays a transaction of this kind, and Bio-Techne expects the deal to complete in late 2026 or early 2027 subject to the remaining approvals. The rejected pay vote is advisory rather than binding, so the payments proceed regardless, but it signals that owners felt the split between what they receive and what executives receive was wrong.

Merck announced that remigromig, an investigational potentially first-in-class tetravalent tri-specific antibody that activates the Wingless-related integration site pathway, met the primary endpoint in the pivotal Phase 2b/3 BRUNELLO trial in adults with diabetic macular edema. At 52 weeks, both the 0.5 mg and 0.8 mg doses of remigromig independently demonstrated non-inferiority to active control 0.5 mg ranibizumab for mean change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity, and both doses were generally well tolerated. Higher rates of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, vitreous hemorrhage, and treatment discontinuations due to adverse events were observed in the remigromig arms compared with ranibizumab, and further analyses are underway. BRUNELLO, which enrolled 984 participants randomized 1:1:1, is the first of two Phase 2b/3 trials of remigromig, with the second, BAROLO, ongoing in DME, alongside a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study called SUPER TUSCAN in neovascular age-related macular degeneration and retinal vein occlusion. The year-one results will be presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in New Orleans on Saturday, Oct. 10, and will be discussed with regulatory authorities.

PostEra, a Boston-based biotechnology company using artificial intelligence for drug discovery, announced that EMD Serono, Inc., the U.S. and Canada healthcare business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has acquired two of its fertility programs. The programs involve novel small-molecule agonists targeting the Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor (FSHR) for ovarian stimulation in IVF and the Luteinizing Hormone/Choriogonadotropin Receptor (LHCGR) for male infertility and ovulation trigger. PostEra developed these candidates using its AI platform, Proton, over the past two years, aiming to offer oral alternatives to injectable fertility treatments. EMD Serono will take sole responsibility for worldwide development and potential commercialization, though both programs are still in preclinical stages. PostEra's CEO and Chief Scientific Officer expressed confidence that the deal validates their platform's ability to tackle challenging targets and could transform IVF protocols from injections to an all-oral regimen.

The Hashgraph Group and Merck, with support from PwC Germany, are piloting an integrated cocoa traceability solution that combines physical authentication, Hedera-powered traceability, and Digital Product Passports. The solution links Merck's M-Trust™ physical authentication technology with The Hashgraph Group's TrackTrace platform, which records origin, quality, and compliance data on Hedera, while PwC Germany provides consulting and implementation support. Designed to help companies prepare for EUDR deforestation due diligence and the shift toward Digital Product Passports under ESPR, the solution creates a digital twin for each cocoa batch, enabling verifiable chain-of-custody and faster recall responses. The architecture is scalable beyond cocoa to sectors like food, pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, electronics, and industrial components. Executives from all three companies emphasized the importance of connecting physical proof to digital records to enhance compliance, quality assurance, and consumer trust.

OmniAb reported second quarter 2026 revenue of $13.4 million and raised its full-year revenue guidance to a range of $32 million to $36 million, up from the prior $28 million to $33 million. The company's net loss narrowed to $5.9 million, or $0.05 per share, from $15.9 million a year earlier. OmniAb ended the quarter with 110 active partners and 425 active programs, including new license agreements with argenx and EnRosa Therapeutics. Management highlighted two programs that advanced directly from Phase I to Phase III during the quarter: J&J's Ramantamig and Merck KGaA's precemtabart tocentecan. The company also sold two xPloration instruments, bringing the total in the field to four, and expects year-end cash of $37 million to $41 million.

Merck KGaA raised its full-year 2026 guidance after reporting accelerating organic sales and earnings growth in the second quarter, driven by its Life Science and Electronics segments. Group organic sales rose 4.1 percent, while EBITDA pre increased 9.3 percent organically to 1.6 billion euros. The company now expects 2026 organic sales growth of 1 to 3 percent, EBITDA pre of 5.9 to 6.3 billion euros, and EPS pre of 7.90 to 8.60 euros. Life Science organic sales grew 8 percent, led by a 15 percent increase in Process Solutions, and Electronics organic sales jumped 11.7 percent on strong semiconductor demand for AI and data-center applications. Healthcare organic sales declined 3.4 percent due to U.S. competition and the loss of Mavenclad exclusivity, though rare-disease products contributed positively. Merck also confirmed it remains on track to acquire Bio-Techne by the end of 2026 or early 2027, expecting about 140 million euros in annual cost synergies by the third year after closing.

Conestoga Capital Advisors highlighted Bio-Techne Corporation as a performance contributor in its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, citing growing confidence that temporary headwinds are subsiding. The life science research tools and diagnostics company benefited from improving academic funding and continued strength in large pharmaceutical customers, which offset lingering weakness in emerging biotech. During the quarter, Bio-Techne agreed to be acquired by Merck KGaA. As of August 5, 2026, Bio-Techne shares closed at $72.00, giving it a market capitalization of $11.22 billion, with a one-month return of 1.19% and a 52-week gain of 43.57%.

German semiconductor-related companies are calling for collaboration with Japan in the advanced semiconductor field. Ben Heim, CEO of Merck's Electronics business, emphasized that while about 80% of global semiconductor manufacturing is concentrated in Asia, Germany and Europe's proprietary technologies support this, and revealed plans to invest over 70 million euros in building an advanced materials development center at its Shizuoka site. Berthold Schmidt, CTO of Trumpf, said the company provides high-power lasers for ASML's EUV lithography machines, and that direct interaction with customers in Japan and elsewhere sparks technology development. Frank Rohmund, head of Carl Zeiss's semiconductor business, said the company supplies the ultra-high-precision mirrors required for ASML's EUV lithography machines, and stressed that it is important to tackle technological innovation together.

Evinova has entered a multi-year strategic collaboration with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany to accelerate global clinical development using Evinova's AI-native platform. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany will adopt the end-to-end capabilities covering study design, document authoring, and downstream automation to reduce time, costs, and operational bottlenecks. The agreement grants Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany priority access to Evinova's continuously advancing suite, including multi-modal study optimization, automatic conversion to USDM 4.0, multi-agentic document authoring, and a holistic intelligence layer integrating operational benchmarks. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany will also hold a seat on Evinova's Strategic Roadmap Steering Committee and participate in the cross-industry operational data consortium. Evinova, a health tech company within the AstraZeneca group, has demonstrated up to 60% improvement in patient experience, 6-month acceleration in trial delivery, and 32% reduction in costs.

The global high-throughput screening market is projected to grow from USD 27.66 billion in 2026 to USD 45.90 billion by 2031, at a compound annual growth rate of 10.7 percent, according to a new report from MarketsandMarkets. Growth is driven by rising pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D investments, increasing adoption of automated drug discovery platforms, and technological advances in areas such as cell-based screening and artificial intelligence-enabled analytics. The products segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2025, with reagents, kits and consumables being the largest product type due to their recurring use across screening workflows. Asia Pacific is expected to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period, supported by expanding research activities and growing contract research organization presence in countries including China, India, Japan, and South Korea. Key players in the market include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Agilent Technologies, Merck KGaA, Danaher Corporation, and Revvity, with the top participants collectively holding approximately 38 percent of the global market.

Merck KGaA's MilliporeSigma unit has opened a new BioReliance testing facility in Darmstadt, Germany, expanding its biopharmaceutical testing footprint in Europe. The company reported a European label update for Erbitux in colorectal cancer, reflecting regulatory progress for its oncology portfolio. Enpatoran, Merck KGaA's investigational lupus therapy, has received US FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation. The new €25 million facility strengthens the Life Science services model by adding in-region release and stability testing, while the updated Erbitux label and enpatoran designation point to a more differentiated portfolio in oncology and immunology.

Merck has opened a new €25 million BioReliance testing facility at its global headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany. The 2,000-square-meter facility expands access to commercial drug substance and drug product release testing as well as Good Manufacturing Practice-compliant stability studies for biopharmaceutical companies developing and commercializing therapies in Europe. Strategically located near major clinical trial hubs in Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy, the site strengthens support for customers managing complex development, quality, and regulatory requirements. The Darmstadt facility joins Merck's global BioReliance testing network, which draws on more than 75 years of expertise and includes technologies such as the Blazar platform for rapid virus detection and the Aptegra CHO genetic stability testing assay. This opening is one of several significant investments Merck has made to grow its global contract testing footprint, following a €290 million biosafety testing facility in Rockville, Maryland, USA, and a €22 million expansion across its Glasgow and Stirling sites in 2024.

UBS has reiterated its overweight stance on European pharmaceuticals, framing the sector as a more resilient home for capital than artificial intelligence at a point when the wider market is slowing. The bank argued that the investment case now rests on more than defensive quality, pointing to improving earnings revisions, low relative valuations and lighter ownership after the sector became a source of funds earlier this year. European pharma has risen more than 5% since mid-June, making it the best-performing sector over that period, and UBS described the shift as the 'what if not AI' trade with better timing. Weight-loss drugs are the strongest near-term catalyst, with the GLP-1 theme now topping UBS's ranking of investment themes in both the United States and Europe, and the bank flagged the start of Medicare coverage on 1 July as the next test of demand. UBS favours patent-light compounders such as Merck KGaA and Galderma, and among larger companies it prefers AstraZeneca and Roche, while it was more cautious on Novartis and Sanofi.

The S&P 500 Health Care Index Sector jumped 7.48% during the week, driven by major dealmaking and legal victories. Merck KGaA agreed to acquire Bio-Techne for $73 per share in cash, valuing the deal at an enterprise value of approximately $11.3 billion, a 36% premium that sent Bio-Techne shares up more than 20%. AbbVie announced an all-cash acquisition of Apogee Therapeutics at $135.11 per share, a total equity value of about $10.9 billion, causing Apogee shares to rally 52%. The U.S. Supreme Court handed Bayer a sweeping 7-2 victory, ruling that federal pesticide regulations shield the company from state-law claims alleging Roundup should have carried a cancer warning, a decision expected to sharply reduce litigation that has cost Bayer more than $10 billion. Eli Lilly entered an R&D and licensing collaboration with China's Abbisko Therapeutics worth up to $1.9 billion, while Novartis and privately held Antares Therapeutics announced a cancer drug development deal also worth up to $1.9 billion.

This week brought a mix of FDA and EU approvals, layoffs, acquisitions, and clinical trial updates across the biotech sector. Ionis Pharmaceuticals secured FDA approval for TRYNGOLZA as an adjunct therapy for severe hypertriglyceridemia, while Merck received European Commission approval for Keytruda in combination with Padcev as a neoadjuvant treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Gilead's Trodelvy was cleared by the FDA for first-line metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, and Pfizer's IBRANCE won expanded approval for HR+/HER2+ metastatic breast cancer. Natera gained Japanese approval for its Signatera MRD test in colorectal cancer, and AbbVie's MAVIRET was approved in the EU for both acute and chronic Hepatitis C. Achieve Life Sciences received an FDA Complete Response Letter for its Cytisinicline NDA due to manufacturing deficiencies, though no efficacy or safety issues were raised. ADC Therapeutics announced a 17% workforce reduction as part of a strategic reorganization to focus on its ZYNLONTA lymphoma franchise. In dealmaking, Merck KGaA agreed to acquire Bio-Techne for $73 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of $11.3 billion, while Ionis inked a licensing deal with Recordati for Zilganersen, an investigational therapy for Alexander disease. Passage Bio and Remix Therapeutics entered an all-stock merger agreement, and Boundless Bio and Serapha Bio also announced an all-stock merger. On the clinical front, IMUNON's Phase 3 OVATION 3 trial passed a safety review, Takeda's Zasocitinib showed superiority over Deucravacitinib in a Phase 3 psoriasis study, and Eledon reported positive long-term kidney transplant data for Tegoprubart. However, Pfizer's Sigvotatug vedotin missed its primary overall survival endpoint in a Phase 3 non-small cell lung cancer study, and MapLight's ML-004 failed to meet its primary endpoint in autism spectrum disorder, though it showed an irritability signal in adolescents. Definium Therapeutics reported positive Phase 3 results for DT120 ODT in major depressive disorder.

BlackBerry shares soared 20% after reporting first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenues of $152.9 million, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $136.1 million. McCormick gained 1.6% after its second-quarter fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of 80 cents per share exceeded the consensus of 69 cents. Meta Platforms fell 2.7% amid a continued tech slump driven by concerns over AI infrastructure costs. Bio-Techne surged 20.1% after Germany's Merck KGaA agreed to acquire the life sciences company in an $11.3 billion cash deal, boosting takeover optimism, while Merck KGaA jumped 5.3%.

Bio-Techne agreed to be acquired by Merck KGaA for US$73 per share in cash, representing a total enterprise value of approximately US$11.3 billion, a 36% premium to its one-month volume weighted average trading price. The transaction is expected to close by late 2026 or early 2027 and is projected to immediately increase Merck KGaA's profitability, with about EUR 140 million in annual cost savings fully realized by the third year after closing. Separately, Satellos Bioscience will present new data from its SAT-3247 Duchenne muscular dystrophy program at a neuromuscular diseases congress in July, while Kymera Therapeutics accelerated the topline data readout for its atopic dermatitis trial to year-end 2026 from mid-2027. SELLAS Life Sciences is nearing the 80th event trigger for its pivotal phase 3 acute myeloid leukemia trial, with 78 events recorded as of May 11.

Merck KGaA has agreed to acquire life sciences company Bio-Techne Corporation for $11.3 billion. The deal values Bio-Techne at $73 per share, a 36% premium to its one-month volume weighted average trading price and a 25% premium to its last close of $58.88 on June 24. Bio-Techne, which employs around 3,100 people across 34 locations worldwide, generated over $1.2 billion in net sales in fiscal year 2025. This is Merck's largest acquisition since its $17 billion purchase of Sigma-Aldrich in 2015 and the first under new CEO Kai Beckmann, who took over in September 2025 and has pledged to pursue M&A to strengthen the company's pipeline.

The global cell therapy human raw materials market is projected to grow from USD 3.62 billion in 2025 to USD 18.94 billion by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of 16.3% during the forecast period from 2026 to 2035, according to a report by Healthcare Foresights. The market was valued at approximately USD 3.62 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 4.21 billion in 2026. Key players include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck KGaA (MilliporeSigma), Sartorius AG, and others. Growth is driven by increasing cell therapy clinical trials and approvals, rising prevalence of cancer and chronic diseases, and advancements in GMP-compliant, xeno-free, and serum-free formulations. North America dominated the market in 2025, while the Asia Pacific region is expected to show the fastest growth.

The global stem cell culture media market is projected to grow from approximately USD 765 million in 2025 to around USD 2714 million by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of about 13.5 percent during the forecast period from 2026 to 2035, according to a new report by Healthcare Foresights. The market was valued at roughly USD 765 million in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 868 million in 2026. Growth is driven by the shift toward serum-free, xeno-free, and chemically defined media, as well as increasing integration of stem cell technologies in drug discovery and cell and gene therapy programs. North America held the highest market share in 2025, while the Asia Pacific region is expected to register the highest growth rate. Key players include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck KGaA, Lonza Group, and Sartorius AG.

MilliporeSigma has named Hiba Therapeutics as the winner of its 2026 North American Advance Biotech Grant. The award was announced at the 2026 BIO International Convention and provides the Boston-based startup with access to MilliporeSigma’s technologies, process development expertise, and regulatory support to advance its TROIKA T Cell Engagers platform. Hiba’s modular, programmable biologics platform is designed to activate tumor-resident T cells and selectively target solid tumors while limiting systemic toxicity, with current focus on lung, head and neck, colorectal, pediatric glioblastoma, and pancreatic cancers. As part of the grant, Hiba will leverage MilliporeSigma’s CHOZN Elite Cell Line and work with experts through the M Lab Collaboration Center and Emprove program to scale processes and prepare for future regulatory requirements. Since 2014, MilliporeSigma has awarded more than 40 startups globally through the Advance Biotech Grant program.

MilliporeSigma launched its first bio-based solvent portfolio for HPLC and LCMS at CHEMUK 2026. The portfolio includes ethanol, methanol, and acetonitrile designed as drop-in replacements that reduce reliance on fossil-based materials without compromising performance or requiring method changes. On average, these solvents offer a 25.9% lower CO2e footprint compared to their fossil-based alternatives. Jeffrey Whitford, Vice President of Sustainability & Social Business Innovation, delivered a keynote emphasizing how sustainability-driven product innovation strengthens competitiveness and accelerates organizational change.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has entered a strategic research-stage collaboration with Versant Ventures-founded biotech Saturnus Bio to advance treatments for rare genetic cardiomyopathies. The build-to-buy deal includes a $50 million upfront payment from Merck KGaA to fund Saturnus' research, securing a minority equity stake, along with additional preclinical milestones. Merck KGaA holds exclusive rights to acquire Saturnus for a predetermined option payment plus success-based earnouts. The partnership will focus on next-generation precision cardiology using targeted gene modulation to address mono-genetic cardiomyopathies, a market with no approved therapies for genetic drivers. Saturnus Bio aims to accelerate development of first-in-class medicines in this area of significant unmet need.

Information Services Group will host the 2026 ISG AI Impact Summit Frankfurt on June 22–23 at the Frankfurt Marriott Hotel, bringing together executives from State Street, Pfizer, Siemens, Merck KGaA, Deutsche Bank, Fresenius Medical Care, Hyundai Motor Europe, Union Investment, and others to share practical strategies for turning AI investments into measurable business value. The event will feature keynotes and panel discussions on achieving AI ROI, establishing accountability for human-AI decision-making, and developing future-ready talent and data models. Anna Guenter of Merck KGaA will open with a keynote on AI-ready leadership for hybrid workforces, while Christian Rhino of Deutsche Bank will deliver a day-two keynote on connecting AI initiatives to revenue growth and risk reduction. Additional sessions will cover sovereign AI in Europe, data protection hurdles, and preparing for AI autonomy and superintelligence.