Germany’s Merck Pumps Up Life Sciences Biz with $11.3B Bio-Techne Deal

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Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck is taking a trip to the Twin Cities to buy Minnesota-based Bio-Techne. The $11.3 billion deal would be Merck's biggest acquisition in more than 10 years as the drugmaker expands under new CEO Kai Beckmann.

Bio-Techne spiked nearly 20% Thursday on the Nasdaq, while Merck KGaA, which hails from Germany as opposed to the US's Merck & Co., popped about 5%. (While the companies share a name and historical roots, they've been separate businesses since the early 20th century and are competitors.)

The acquisition would strengthen Merck's foothold in life sciences, especially drug discovery and gene therapy. Merck, meanwhile, could give Bio-Techne the backing it needs to compete in a consolidating sector.

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The biotech sector surged during COVID-19, and Bio-Techne benefited, with its shares spiking throughout 2020 a

Fuente original: Yahoo Finance (https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/germany-merck-pumps-life-sciences-040100766.html)