Merck Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Mirus Bio, Furthering Ambition to Be a Leading Supplier for Viral Vector Manufacturing
22 May 2024 - 6:29PM
Business Wire
- Mirus Bio’s transfection reagents strengthen Merck’s
upstream portfolio
- Acquisition will advance Merck’s ambition to provide a fully
integrated and comprehensive solution for viral vector
manufacturing
- Reinforces Merck’s continued commitment to shaping the
future of gene therapies and other novel modalities
Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced
the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire for US$ 600
million. Mirus Bio, part of Gamma Biosciences, is a life science
company based in Madison, Wisconsin, USA that specializes in the
development and commercialization of transfection reagents, such as
TransIT-VirusGEN®. Transfection reagents play a critical role in
the production of viral vector-based gene therapies.
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Merck operators monitoring viral vector
production in a bioreactor in Merck's Carlsbad, California
manufacturing facility. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Viral vector-based cell and gene therapies have demonstrated
their potential with more than 20 approvals over the last 10 years1
and will continue to advance, with a projected growth of 30 percent
until 20282,” said Matthias Heinzel, Member of the Executive Board
of Merck and CEO Life Science. “This acquisition, combined with our
comprehensive portfolio, enables us to provide a truly
differentiated and integrated offering to meet the growing demand
for these life-saving therapies.”
“We have been driving innovation in nucleic acid delivery for
two decades,” said Dale Gordon, CEO of Mirus Bio. “Merck’s broad
portfolio, scale and global reach, combined with our leading
transfection reagents, will help take our business to even greater
heights and allow us to serve more customers, and ultimately
patients, worldwide.”
Merck’s Process Solutions business offers one of the broadest
product portfolios in the industry and provides flexible solutions
for viral vector manufacturing to advance cell and gene therapies
from preclinical through commercial production. This comprehensive
portfolio includes cell lines, cell culture media, processing
chemicals and buffers, enzymes, as well as systems, filters,
hardware and consumables to support every step of the viral vector
manufacturing processes. Merck’s expertise and portfolio covers a
variety of viral vector types, including adeno-associated virus,
lentivirus, and adenovirus. Additionally, Merck’s Life Science
Services business offers both contract testing services and a suite
of comprehensive CDMO services for viral vector manufacturing,
leveraging three decades of experience supporting cell and gene
therapies to de-risk the path to commercialization.
This deal is anticipated to close in Q3 of 2024 and is subject
to regulatory clearance and other customary closing conditions.
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About Merck Merck, a leading science and technology
company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics.
Around 63,000 employees work to make a positive difference to
millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and
sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that
accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as
discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to
enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere.
In 2023, Merck generated sales of € 21 billion in 65 countries.
Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have
been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is
how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding
family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company.
Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only
exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business
sectors of Merck operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD
Serono in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics.
1
https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/cellular-gene-therapy-products/approved-cellular-and-gene-therapy-products
2 EvaluatePharma 2023
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