Overview
- Merck announced June 25 that it will acquire U.S. lab‑tools maker Bio‑Techne for $73 a share in an all‑cash offer valuing the deal at about $11.3 billion.
- The companies’ managements have approved the transaction and Merck plans to finance the purchase with cash plus new debt.
- Merck projects roughly €140 million in annual cost synergies and says the deal will produce an immediate uplift to operating margin and positive EPS effects by the third year.
- Bio‑Techne, which reported more than $1.2 billion in 2025 revenue and about 3,000 employees, brings a catalog of proteins and antibodies that Merck says will deepen its offerings for biological research and advanced therapies.
- The deal must clear regulators and Bio‑Techne shareholder approval before a planned late‑2026 or early‑2027 close, and markets reacted with Bio‑Techne shares jumping about 20–22% while Merck shares rose modestly.