COMPANY PROFILE / CELL CULTURE TECHNOLOGY
Merck KGaA
A long-established maker of media, filters and resins, buying its way into the tools of viral vectors and cell therapy (MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada)
Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany has a Life Science business alongside its healthcare and electronics businesses, and in 2025 Life Science accounted for 42% of group sales. The part that deals directly with cell culture is Process Solutions, which sells media, cell lines, filters, chromatography resins and single-use products. In 2025 it achieved organic growth of 10.7% (excluding currency and portfolio effects), and the company describes it as its "primary growth engine". In 2024 Merck bought Mirus Bio, a maker of transfection reagents for viral vectors, for US$600 million, and in June 2026 it agreed to acquire Bio-Techne of the United States, which also has materials and equipment for cell therapy, at an enterprise value of about US$11.3 billion. This profile keeps the company as a whole to a minimum and, focusing on the Life Science business, concentrates on what Merck is putting into cell culture, who it is working with and what it is aiming for.
- Merck KGaA in 30 seconds, and where it stands in cell culture
- The logo and how the name is written
- Where the company sits in the cell culture field
- Scale (focusing on the Life Science business)
- Resources committed to cell culture
- What it has done so far
- What comes next
- What the company is aiming for in cell culture
- Map of cell culture partnerships
- Technologies, products and services
- The risks this company carries
- Glossary, references and claim-to-source audit
1. Merck KGaA in 30 seconds, and where it stands in cell culture
Contract manufacturing and testing (secondary)Involved in both (1) biologics production and (2) cell and gene therapy
Companies involved in cell culture fall into three broad types: contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs), suppliers of tools, consumables and media, and developers of cell and regenerative therapies. Merck KGaA is first and foremost a supplier. The 2026 half-year report says Process Solutions' range "includes cell culture media and cell lines, process chemicals and excipients, filtration devices, chromatography resins and membranes, single-use systems and integrated platforms as well as validation services" Sourced. At the same time, the annual report says that Life Science Services (merged into Advanced Solutions from 2026) supports customers in drug development and manufactures novel modalities such as ADCs and viral and gene therapy products, and also offers testing services, so the company also has a secondary identity as a CDMO Sourced. Of the two meanings of "cell culture" (1) growing animal cells to produce antibodies and other biologics and (2) cell therapy, where the cells themselves are the product, its focus is on (1); its involvement in (2) comes through products for making viral vectors (the materials that carry genes into cells) and through contract manufacturing and testing.
2. The logo and how the name is written
The Merck KGaA logo is a trademark of the company. We have not recreated it with generated imagery;
the file img/merck_kgaa_logo.svg is the logo (SVG) shown in the header of the company's official website (in the colour displayed there).
A note on names: according to the annual report, the company holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand, with the exception of the United States and Canada. In those two countries its Life Science business operates as MilliporeSigma, its healthcare business as EMD Serono and its electronics business as EMD Electronics. It is a separate company from the U.S. drug maker Merck & Co., Inc., which is worth bearing in mind when reading English-language material. This article uses "Merck KGaA" or "Merck".
https://www.merckgroup.com/en.html3. Where the company sits in the cell culture field
The remaining 51% is Science & Lab Solutions, which the annual report says offers "reagents, consumables, devices, instruments, software, and services for research, production and testing", along with lab water instruments, microbiology products and more Sourced. Note that Process Solutions, the stand-alone business for production processes, is a little under half of Life Science. It is not the case that "all of Life Science's roughly €9 billion in sales relates to cell culture".
4. Scale (focusing on the Life Science business)
| Group as a whole | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Net sales (€ million) | 21,156 | 21,102 |
| R&D costs (€ billion) | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| Employees (31 December) | 62,557 | 62,461 |
| Life Science business (€ million) | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Jan to Jun 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process Solutions | 3,782.9 | 3,522.3 | 3,785.1 | 2,082 (prior-year period 1,863) |
| Advanced Solutions | 2,481.2 | 2,464.3 | 2,365.4 | 1,179 (prior-year period 1,181) |
| Discovery Solutions | 3,016.7 | 2,929.8 | 2,828.8 | 1,416 (prior-year period 1,440) |
| Life Science total | 9,280.6 | 8,916.2 | 8,979.6 | 4,677 (prior-year period 4,485) |
| Life Science EBITDA pre (adjusted EBITDA) | - | 2,589 (29.0%) | 2,585 (28.8%) | - |
| Life Science R&D costs | - | 388 | 401 | - |
| Life Science investment in property, plant and equipment | - | 858 | 745 | - |
Sources: the table of Life Science net sales under the new structure (2023 to 2025, restated into the business units in place from January 2026), the Annual Report 2025 (segment information) and the Half-yearly Financial Report 2026.
Organic growth at Process Solutions was -14.4% in 2023, -6.4% in 2024, +10.7% in 2025 and +15.5% in January to June 2026 Sourced. After two years of decline, it has recovered strongly since 2025. The annual report attributes the 2025 growth to "higher demand resulting from new customer projects and a normalization of the market", and the 2026 half-year report cites "higher demand in downstream processing and single-use solutions" and "ongoing limited safety stock building" Sourced.
Revenue from media alone, or from cell therapy products alone, is not disclosed within Process Solutions Not yet confirmed. R&D and capital expenditure are also figures for Life Science as a whole; the share going to media or cell culture is not published. Because the business units changed in 2026, take care not to mix figures from the old structure (Science & Lab Solutions / Process Solutions / Life Science Services) with the new one (Process Solutions / Advanced Solutions / Discovery Solutions). Process Solutions covers almost the same scope under both (2025: €3,785 million under the old structure, €3,785.1 million under the new).
5. Resources committed to cell culture
| Resource | What primary sources confirm | Status |
|---|---|---|
| People | More than 1,700 scientists at 12 sites in Life Science R&D. About 6,500 people in R&D and related support across the group. Total Life Science headcount and Process Solutions headcount | R&D staff confirmed. Total divisional headcount could not be confirmed by this article |
| Money (capital expenditure) | Life Science investment in property, plant and equipment of €745 million (2025), including €120 million for the membrane and filter plant in Cork, Ireland. More than €300 million for a bioprocessing production centre in Daejeon, South Korea (dry powder media, process liquids and more). €23 million to expand the dry powder media plant in Lenexa, Kansas. About €6.6 million for a GMP media line in Nantong, China | Confirmed (total investment in media not disclosed) |
| Money (R&D) | €401 million in the Life Science business (2025) | Confirmed at business level. The cell culture share is not disclosed |
| Investments and acquisitions | Mirus Bio (transfection reagents, US$600 million, closed August 2024), HUB Organoids (organoids, closed January 2025), JSR's chromatography business (Protein A resins, provisional purchase price €194 million, closed March 2026) and Bio-Techne (enterprise value about US$11.3 billion, agreed June 2026, not yet closed) | Confirmed (the HUB Organoids price could not be confirmed by this article) |
| Universities and research institutions | A memorandum of understanding with Washington University in St. Louis to support joint research (July 2025; a relationship going back 90 years). Joint development of microphysiological systems with the Belgian research institute imec (May 2025). An MoU with KAIST in South Korea (May 2024), and a chemistry hub opened in March 2026 | Confirmed (KAIST is mainly about chemistry) |
By amount, the Bio-Techne acquisition stands out. Its enterprise value of about €9.9 billion is larger than the Life Science business's 2025 sales (about €9 billion) Our calculation. The company describes Bio-Techne as "a leading provider of materials, analytics, and process technologies to cell therapy developers" and says Bio-Techne holds 19.9% of Wilson Wolf, maker of the G-Rex cell culture devices, and expects to acquire the rest immediately after the end of 2027 Sourced.
6. What it has done so far
| When | What happened | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| April 2023 | Launches Ultimus, a film for single-use culture and storage bags (with a woven nylon structure built in) | Materials development for single-use products |
| July 2023 | Expands the media plant in Lenexa, Kansas (9,100 square metres, €23 million), making it the largest dry powder media site in North America | Media supply for the Americas |
| March 2024 | Announces a bioprocessing production centre of more than €300 million in Daejeon, South Korea, the Life Science business's largest ever investment in Asia-Pacific, with about 300 jobs planned by the end of 2028 | Local production of media and process liquids in Asia |
| July 2024 | Starts commercial production on its first GMP media manufacturing line in China, in Nantong | Custom media for customers in China |
| August 2024 | Completes the acquisition of Mirus Bio (U.S.) (about US$600 million), a maker of transfection reagents for viral vector manufacturing | A step towards its "ambition to offer solutions for every step of viral vector manufacturing" |
| September 2024 | Media plants in Germany, the UK, China and the U.S. gain certification under EXCiPACT, a GMP scheme for pharmaceutical excipients (the company calls the standard an industry first) | Brings media quality control up to the level of drug ingredients |
| January 2025 | Completes the acquisition of HUB Organoids (Netherlands) | 3D human tissue models for research |
| September 2025 | Opens a filter plant in Cork, Ireland (about €150 million, part of a €440 million investment in Ireland). Launches the CHOZN Elite cell line | Supply capacity downstream (filtration) and a new upstream product (cell line) |
| October 2025 | Agrees to acquire JSR's chromatography business. Launches the VirusGEN Stabilizer, a reagent that stabilises transfection | Strengthens a core material for antibody purification (Protein A) |
| January 2026 | Reorganises the Life Science business into three units: Process Solutions, Discovery Solutions and Advanced Solutions | Separates production, research, and contract and regulatory services |
| March to May 2026 | Completes the acquisition of JSR's chromatography business (a team of more than 50 in Belgium). Signs a five-year agreement with Genetix Biotherapeutics to carry out release testing for three FDA-approved gene therapies (as stated in its press release) | Brings purification materials in house, and expands contract testing |
| June 2026 | Agrees to acquire Bio-Techne (U.S.) at an enterprise value of about US$11.3 billion. Expected to close in late 2026 or early 2027 | A single leap in cell therapy materials and equipment, and in research tools |
7. What comes next
in Life ScienceDriven mainly by Process Solutions (half-year report)
one of three pillarsThe company says the three will generate up to 80% of mid-term growth
late 2026 to early 2027About €140 million a year of cost savings expected by year three
right after end-2027Under Bio-Techne's forward contract
The CEO's letter names three mid-term growth drivers, Process Solutions (Life Science), Rare Diseases (Healthcare) and Semiconductor Solutions (Electronics), and says these businesses "are positioned to generate up to 80% of growth in the medium term" Sourced. It also says that, following "our intensive investment period over the last five years", the company expects its capital expenditure-to-sales ratio to normalise gradually. In other words, this reads as a phase in which capacity expansion has largely run its course and further growth will come mainly through acquisition (Bio-Techne) Not yet confirmed.
None of the following appears in the annual report, half-year report or releases we read Not yet confirmed.
A mid-term sales target for Process Solutions alone; media production capacity; revenue from cell therapy products; which business unit G-Rex and other cell therapy products will sit in after the Bio-Techne acquisition; and the price paid for HUB Organoids. The annual report and releases also contain industry figures such as "about 70% of cell and gene therapy developers outsource manufacturing", but no source is given, so this article does not use them.
8. What the company is aiming for in cell culture
This section goes beyond what the company says directly. It sets out inferences that can be drawn from primary sources, each with its basis.
| What can be read | Primary evidence behind it | Category |
|---|---|---|
| It is shifting the centre of gravity of Life Science from research reagents to "production" | The CEO's letter calls Process Solutions the primary growth engine, and the 2026 reorganisation keeps production as a stand-alone business unit. Process Solutions' share rose from 40% in 2024 to 42% in 2025 and 45% in the first half of 2026 | Inference |
| It wants to supply products for every step of viral vector manufacturing | At the time of the Mirus Bio acquisition the company itself stated its "ambition to offer solutions for every step of viral vector manufacturing" | Sourced |
| In cell therapy, it is using acquisitions to fill gaps in culture equipment and materials | Bio-Techne supplies materials, analytics and process technologies to cell therapy developers, and the acquisition of Wilson Wolf, maker of G-Rex, is also planned | Inference |
| For antibody drugs, it is bringing the core purification material (Protein A) in house | The acquisition of JSR's chromatography business, which the company describes as underscoring its "commitment to long-term investment in monoclonal antibody production technologies" | Inference |
| It is building media supply on a "make it in the region, sell it in the region" basis | New and expanded media plants in Lenexa, Nantong and Daejeon. The Cork plant is described as strengthening "in-region-for-region" supply resilience | Sourced |
Merck's involvement in cell therapy has so far centred on "the side that delivers the genes". Mirus Bio's transfection reagents, contract viral vector manufacturing and gene therapy release testing are all businesses concerned with the vectors and genes put into cells Sourced. Making CAR-T cells and similar products, however, also requires culture equipment to expand the cells, media additives such as cytokines, and process analytics, in addition to vectors. The Bio-Techne acquisition release describes it as "a leading provider of materials, analytics, and process technologies to cell therapy developers" and also refers to the planned acquisition of Wilson Wolf, maker of G-Rex (a cell culture device). Our reading is that this acquisition extends a cell and gene therapy range that has been weighted towards vectors into the culturing of the cells themselves Not yet confirmed. The acquisition has not yet closed, however, and the company has not announced how the businesses will be arranged after integration.
9. Map of cell culture partnerships
Merck's relationships fall into two groups: co-development of cell models for research (organoids and 3D culture) and acquisitions of materials for production. The co-development partners on the left serve discovery and research; of the acquisitions on the right, Mirus Bio and JSR serve production (Process Solutions), while Bio-Techne spans both Sourced.
10. Technologies, products and services
| Area | Main products and services (as described in the annual report, half-year report and releases) | (1) Biologics / (2) Cell and gene therapy |
|---|---|---|
| Media and cell lines | Media (dry powder media made in Lenexa, Nantong and elsewhere, plus custom media design); mConfig, a digital tool that lets customers configure media and chemicals themselves; and the CHOZN Elite CHO cell line (suspension culture in chemically defined, animal-origin-free media) | (1) (media also for (2)) |
| Single-use | Mobius single-use products, Ultimus film, and the Mobius ADC Reactor for ADC manufacturing | (1) |
| Filtration and purification | Filters (Millipore Express Ace 0.2 µm, Viresolve Pro-S), chromatography resins and membranes (Natrix CH, Amsphere Protein A resins from JSR) and Pellicon Capsule (single-use ultrafiltration for viral and gene therapies) | (1) (some (2)) |
| Upstream viral vector production | TransIT-VirusGEN transfection reagents (formerly Mirus Bio), VirusGEN Stabilizer, and the AAViator AAV production platform | (2) |
| Contract manufacturing and testing | Contract development and manufacturing of ADCs, high-potency APIs and viral and gene therapy products. Contract testing under the BioReliance brand (biosafety testing, viral clearance studies, cell banking). AAV Express Platform | (1) (2) |
| Cell models for research | Organoids (formerly HUB Organoids) and 3D cell culture assays developed with Promega | Drug discovery research (not production) |
Of the Ultimus single-use container film launched in April 2023, Merck says it "is designed with a proprietary woven nylon structure and provides enhanced bag strength, improved durability, and resilience". The aim is to protect against leaks, abrasions, tears and material fatigue, supporting healthy cell growth Sourced.
A single-use culture bag is a thin multilayer film that holds hundreds of litres of culture fluid and is lifted and rocked. Getting the strength from the film alone makes it thick, at the cost of flexibility and clarity. Adding a woven fabric as reinforcement is the same "composite material" thinking as fibre-reinforced plastics or the cord plies in a tyre. The press release does not, however, disclose details such as whether the layer structure keeps the reinforcement away from the wetted surface, or which polymers sandwich it Not yet confirmed. Our explainer on single-use systems also covers the structure of bag films.
11. The risks this company carries
| Risk | Substance | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Large swings in demand | Organic growth at Process Solutions has swung sharply, from -14.4% in 2023 and -6.4% in 2024 to +10.7% in 2025 and +15.5% in the first half of 2026 | Sourced |
| A backlash from stock building | The 2026 half-year report mentions "ongoing limited safety stock building". Growth could slow if that stops | Inference |
| Integration and debt from a large acquisition | Bio-Techne's enterprise value of about €9.9 billion exceeds Life Science's annual sales. Net financial debt stood at about €8.6 billion at the end of 2025 (up because of the SpringWorks acquisition) | Sourced |
| Currency | In 2025 currency cut Life Science sales by 3.4%, so organic growth of 4.0% became reported growth of only 0.7% | Sourced |
| Cuts in research budgets | The annual report says policy changes in the United States reduced spending by academic and government research labs, holding back the research business | Sourced |
| Volatility in contract business | Life Science Services (contract manufacturing and testing) fell 4.5% organically in 2025, mainly because one-off projects from the previous year did not recur | Sourced |
| No visible track record in cell therapy | Revenue from cell therapy products is not disclosed, and the post-acquisition arrangement of Bio-Techne has not been announced | Not yet confirmed |
12. Glossary
- Process Solutions
- A business unit of Merck KGaA's Life Science business, covering media, filters, resins, single-use products and other items used in drug production processes.
- MilliporeSigma
- The name used by Merck KGaA's Life Science business in the United States and Canada.
- Culture media
- The liquids (or powders dissolved before use) that nourish cells. See our explainer on cell culture media for more.
- CHO cells
- Cells derived from Chinese hamster ovary. The most widely used cells for producing antibody drugs.
- Protein A
- A protein that binds selectively to antibodies. Resins carrying it are used to purify antibodies.
- Transfection reagent
- A reagent that gets DNA taken up into cells. Used in viral vector manufacturing.
- Viral vector
- A virus modified to carry genes into cells. Used in gene therapy and in making CAR-T cells.
- Organoid
- A small three-dimensional tissue model grown from stem cells or similar. Used in drug discovery research, partly to replace animal testing.
- CDMO
- A company that develops and manufactures drugs under contract. See also our explainer on CDMOs.
- Organic growth
- Sales growth excluding the effects of currency and of acquisitions and divestments.
13. References
- Merck KGaA Annual Report 2025. Company profile (ownership structure, names used in the U.S. and Canada), group sales, R&D costs and headcount, Life Science sales by business unit, EBITDA pre, R&D costs and capital expenditure, business unit descriptions, research and products, investments, the CEO's letter and risks. https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/2025-Q4-Report-EN.pdf
- Merck KGaA Half-yearly Financial Report as of June 30, 2026. Sales under the new structure, Process Solutions' product description and growth drivers, completion and provisional purchase price of the JSR acquisition, the Bio-Techne agreement, the 2026 outlook and KAIST. https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2026-q2/en/2026-Q2-Report-EN.pdf
- Merck KGaA Net Sales Life Science 2023–2025, New Structure (investor material, Excel). Sales and growth rates for Process Solutions, Advanced Solutions and Discovery Solutions. https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/Net%20Sales%20LS_2023-2025_New%20Structure.xlsx
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Agrees to Acquire Bio-Techne, Strengthening Leadership Position in Fast-Growing Life Sciences Markets" (25 June 2026). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/merck-agrees-to-acquire-bio-techne-25-06-2026.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck to Acquire the Chromatography Business of JSR Life Sciences" (15 October 2025). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/acquisition-jsr-chromatography-15-10-2025.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Completes Acquisition of JSR Life Sciences’ Chromatography Business" (1 April 2026). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/jsr-closing-01-04-2026.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Life Science Company Mirus Bio for US$ 600 million" (22 May 2024). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/definite-agreement-mirus-bio-22-05-2024.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Closes Mirus Bio Acquisition, Bolstering Viral Vector Bioprocessing Offering" (1 August 2024). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/mirus-close-01-08-2024.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Invests More Than € 300 Million in New Life Science Production Site in South Korea" (20 March 2024). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/bioprocessing-production-center-daejong-20-03-2024.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Invests € 23 Million to Expand Cell Culture Media Production in Kansas, USA" (12 July 2023). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/lenexa-expansion-12-07-2023.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Begins Commercial Production of First GMP-Compliant Manufacturing Line for Cell Culture Media in China" (16 July 2024). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/china-ccm-16-07-2024.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Receives Industry First EXCiPACT Certification for Cell Culture Media Manufacturing" (5 September 2024). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/excipact-05-09-2024.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Launches Ultimus Film to Offer Superior Strength and Leak Resistance in Single-use Assemblies" (24 April 2023). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/mk-ultimus-24-04-2023.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Becomes Sole Testing Provider for Genetix Biotherapeutics' Gene Therapies" (7 May 2026). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/genetix-bioreliance-agreement-07-05-2026.html
- Merck KGaA Press release, "Merck Partners with Promega to Advance 3-D Cell Drug Discovery Technologies" (28 October 2025). https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/promegapartnership-28-10-2025.html
- Merck KGaA Official website (source of the logo image). https://www.merckgroup.com/en.html
14. Claim-to-source audit
| Claim in the article | Category | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Legal name, head office in Darmstadt, founding family 70.274% and free float 29.726%, names used in the U.S. and Canada | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/2025-Q4-Report-EN.pdf |
| Group sales, R&D costs and headcount (2024 to 2025) | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/2025-Q4-Report-EN.pdf |
| Life Science sales and share (42%), and sales and shares by business unit under the old structure (Process Solutions 42%, Life Science Services 7%) | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/2025-Q4-Report-EN.pdf |
| Life Science EBITDA pre, R&D costs and investment in property, plant and equipment; more than 1,700 scientists at 12 sites | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/2025-Q4-Report-EN.pdf |
| Sales under the new structure (2023 to 2025) and Process Solutions' organic growth rates | Sourced | Reference 3 https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/Net%20Sales%20LS_2023-2025_New%20Structure.xlsx |
| Sales under the new structure for the first half of 2026, Process Solutions' product description and growth drivers (including safety stock building), and the 2026 outlook | Sourced | Reference 2 https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2026-q2/en/2026-Q2-Report-EN.pdf |
| Bio-Techne's enterprise value exceeding Life Science sales, and the trend in Process Solutions' share | Our calculation | Calculated by this article from figures in References 1, 2 and 4 |
| Life Science Services' contract development, manufacturing and testing, and its 2025 decline | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/2025-Q4-Report-EN.pdf |
| The three growth drivers and "up to 80% of growth", and the plan to normalise the capital expenditure ratio | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/2025-Q4-Report-EN.pdf |
| The Cork plant (about €150 million, part of a €440 million investment, in-region-for-region) and €120 million invested in Cork | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/2025-Q4-Report-EN.pdf |
| Statements on Washington University, imec, Siemens and HUB Organoids; CHOZN Elite, mConfig, VirusGEN, AAViator, Pellicon Capsule and the AAV Express Platform | Sourced | Reference 1 https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/2025-Q4-Report-EN.pdf |
| The Bio-Techne acquisition (US$73 a share, enterprise value about US$11.3 billion or €9.9 billion, cost savings of about €140 million, the 19.9% stake in Wilson Wolf and G-Rex, materials, analytics and process technologies for cell therapy) | Sourced | Reference 4 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/merck-agrees-to-acquire-bio-techne-25-06-2026.html |
| Agreement to acquire JSR's chromatography business, and its description as a long-term investment in antibody production technology | Sourced | Reference 5 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/acquisition-jsr-chromatography-15-10-2025.html |
| Completion of the JSR chromatography acquisition (more than 50 people in Belgium) | Sourced | Reference 6 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/jsr-closing-01-04-2026.html |
| Agreement to acquire Mirus Bio (US$600 million) | Sourced | Reference 7 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/definite-agreement-mirus-bio-22-05-2024.html |
| Completion of the Mirus Bio acquisition and the goal of "every step of viral vector manufacturing" | Sourced | Reference 8 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/mirus-close-01-08-2024.html |
| The production centre of more than €300 million in Daejeon, South Korea (dry powder media and process liquids, about 300 staff) | Sourced | Reference 9 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/bioprocessing-production-center-daejong-20-03-2024.html |
| Expansion of the Lenexa media plant (€23 million, 9,100 square metres) | Sourced | Reference 10 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/lenexa-expansion-12-07-2023.html |
| The GMP media line in Nantong, China (about €6.6 million) | Sourced | Reference 11 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/china-ccm-16-07-2024.html |
| EXCiPACT certification of media plants (Germany, UK, China, U.S.) | Sourced | Reference 12 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/excipact-05-09-2024.html |
| The woven nylon structure of Ultimus film | Sourced | Reference 13 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/mk-ultimus-24-04-2023.html |
| The five-year testing agreement with Genetix Biotherapeutics | Sourced | Reference 14 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/genetix-bioreliance-agreement-07-05-2026.html |
| Joint development of 3D cell culture assays with Promega | Sourced | Reference 15 https://www.merckgroup.com/en/news/promegapartnership-28-10-2025.html |
| The three types of cell culture company, and Merck's main and secondary roles | Our calculation | Our own classification. Companies shown are examples from the 20 in this series |
| Revenue from media and cell therapy products, a mid-term target for Process Solutions alone, media production capacity, the HUB Organoids price, and the post-integration arrangement of Bio-Techne | Not yet confirmed | Not in References 1, 2 or 4. This article makes no estimate https://www.merckgroup.com/content/dam/web/corporate/non-images/investors/reports-and-financials/earnings-materials/2025-q4/en/2025-Q4-Report-EN.pdf |
| The readings about shifting towards production, filling the culture side through acquisition, bringing Protein A in house, and the risk of a backlash from safety stock building | Inference | This article's interpretation of statements in References 1, 2, 4 and 5 |
| The reading that further growth will come mainly through acquisition | Not yet confirmed | This article's outlook based on statements in References 1 and 4 |
| The materials explanation of fabric-reinforced film | Not yet confirmed | This article's commentary on the facts in Reference 13 |
Last updated 24 September 2026 / Troy Technical
The figures in this article are based on Merck KGaA's annual report, half-year report, investor materials and official press releases. No research-firm estimates, press-based figures or unsourced industry statistics have been used. Passages marked "Inference" are this article's interpretation of primary sources, not statements made by the company.