Boehringer Ingelheim to Acquire Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen to Strengthen its Next Generation Cancer Immunology Program
9.12.2020 12:00:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Boehringer Ingelheim today announced the execution of the agreement on the acquisition of Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen. The acquisition will enable Boehringer Ingelheim to further expand and accelerate its comprehensive program for the development of ATMP-based immuno-oncology therapies including the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) with modified glycoprotein (GP) platform and cancer vaccines platforms. Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen has outstanding experience in process development, manufacturing and analytical characterization in virology besides expertise in microbiology and cell culture. Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen has already worked in close collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim on viral-based therapy development since 2015.
“The acquisition of Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen is strengthening our promising pipeline with diverse potential first-in-class cancer immunology and cancer cell directed therapies for patients with hard-to-treat cancer,” said Dr. Michel Pairet, member of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Board of Managing Directors with responsibility for the company’s Innovation Unit. “The trusting and highly effective collaboration between our scientists and the Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen team has already contributed significantly to our progress in viral-based cancer therapies. We will welcome the Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen team and look forward to jointly advancing our program in this area.”
Boehringer Ingelheim is taking cancer on by strengthening its position in cancer immunology, with a focus on cancer vaccines, oncolytic viruses, T-cell engagers, stromal modulators and myeloid cell modulators by combining its world-class, in-house research and development with that of highly innovative external companies. The addition of Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen’s site will enable Boehringer Ingelheim to further strengthen its oncolytic virus and cancer vaccine development capabilities and capacities by establishing an end-to-end fully integrated center of excellence for virus development and clinical manufacturing. It will add to a series of strategic acquisitions and collaborations over the past years, including the acquisition of ViraTherapeutics and AMAL Therapeutics, which are contributing assets that will be further developed at Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen’s site.
Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen is a privately-held company founded in 1971. It is headquartered in Ochsenhausen, Germany, close to Boehringer Ingelheim’s Biberach R&D site. As a center of excellence in virology, Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen has a long track record in GLP and GMP certified biosafety testing. In recent years Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen established its GMP-virus manufacturing facility. With around 130 highly qualified and specialized employees, the company has built considerable expertise in process development, manufacturing and analytical characterization of viral therapeutics and oncolytic viral therapeutics. Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen will be integrated with all employees as a new unit into Boehringer Ingelheim’s Development organization and continue to operate at its Ochsenhausen site. A future expansion is planned.
“Following our successful strategic partnership, we are really excited to join forces with Boehringer Ingelheim,” said Dr. Ingrid Rapp, CEO at Labor Dr. Merk & Kollegen. “Boehringer Ingelheim is a truly global pharmaceutical company with excellent R&D capacities. We look forward to taking our next development step in oncology as part of this outstanding team.”
The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the deal. The transaction is subject to the approval of the competition authorities in Germany. Closing will follow thereafter.
Please click on the following link for ‘Notes to Editors’:
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/agreement-acquire-labor-dr-merk
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201209005383/en/
Contact information
Boehringer Ingelheim
Dr. Reinhard Malin
Head of Communications Innovation Unit
Boehringer Ingelheim Corporate Center GmbH
Media + PR
P: +49 6132 77-90815
press@boehringer-ingelheim.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Visa Threats Report: As Network Security Strengthens, Criminals Accelerate Shift to AI-Enabled Social Engineering20.5.2026 16:16:00 EEST | Press release
Visa (NYSE: V), a world leader in digital payments, today released its Spring 2026 Biannual Threats Report, revealing that scams have become the fastest-growing source of consumer harm as criminals increasingly use artificial intelligence and social engineering to manipulate people into authorizing payments themselves. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260520153924/en/ The report draws on intelligence from Visa’s global network and underscores a critical shift in the fraud landscape: while core payment security continues to strengthen at the network level, criminals are redirecting their efforts away from technical system compromises toward exploiting human trust. From July to December 2025, Visa identified nearly $1 billion in scam-related activity, making scams the single largest category of consumer payment fraud. Unlike traditional fraud, these attacks typically do not require breaching technology. Instead,
Xsolla Expands Nordic Presence With Industry Engagements Across Sweden, Including Official Sponsorship of Nordic Game 202620.5.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Xsolla, a global video game commerce company that helps developers launch, grow, and monetize their games, today announces a comprehensive program of events and activations across Sweden throughout May 2026, including its official sponsorship of Nordic Game 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260520833786/en/ Graphic: Xsolla At Nordic Game, Xsolla will showcase its Web Shop solution, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform designed to help developers build and scale their own storefronts outside traditional app stores. The Web Shop ecosystem integrates storefronts, LiveOps tools, and player engagement features, enabling studios to strengthen player relationships while increasing revenue and operational control. Xsolla will also highlight its global payments infrastructure, supporting more than 1,000+ payment methods across 200+ geographies. Designed to optimize conversion and deliver localized checkout experienc
1GLOBAL Launches Verint Communications Analytics to Enhance Cloud Compliance for Financial and Regulated Industries20.5.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
1GLOBAL, a pioneer in global telecommunications solutions, today announced its launch of Verint® Communications Analytics, a key offering within Verint Financial Compliance (VFC) providing mobile call transcription and analytics capabilities. Verint Communications Analytics has been designed to help financial institutions and regulated organizations accelerate productivity when monitoring voice calls (including mobile), identifying behavioral patterns, querying data intentionally by topic, risks, keywords or sentiment, identifying misuse and reducing regulatory risk. Verint Communications Analytics is seamlessly integrated into 1GLOBAL’s mobile platform across 10 international markets. It enables cloud compliance customers to achieve faster and more efficient results via transcription and various analytics. Transforming Raw Data into Actionable and Valuable Intelligence As regulatory scrutiny intensifies, financial firms face growing pressure to monitor communications more comprehensiv
Cyclic Materials Appoints Former Siemens and Alcoa CEO Klaus Kleinfeld to Board of Directors20.5.2026 15:30:00 EEST | Press release
Cyclic Materials, the rare earth recycling company enabling domestic circular supply chain for critical materials around the world, today announced the appointment of Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld to its Board of Directors. Dr. Kleinfeld brings decades of experience leading global industrial and advanced manufacturing businesses, including serving as CEO of two Fortune 500 companies – Siemens AG and Alcoa. His experience growing complex international operations, navigating global markets, and leading large industrial transformations will support Cyclic Materials’ industrial expansion to meet an accelerating global demand. An internationally recognized executive, investor, and entrepreneur, Dr. Kleinfeld has advised multiple U.S. Presidents and global leaders on industrial competitiveness, technology, and economic development. “Cyclic Materials is scaling a strategically vital solution that diversifies the global supply of critical materials,” said Dr. Kleinfeld. “Establishing resilient supply ch
HTEC and Motion Applied: Collaboration Built on Performance, Precision, and Innovation20.5.2026 15:18:00 EEST | Press release
HTEC, a global AI-first engineering and digital product development company, and Motion Applied are expanding their collaboration following a successful track record in developing advanced solutions across multiple industries. Motion Applied delivers engineering and technology solutions in motorsport, electrification and transportation, bringing 35 years of top-tier motorsport heritage and race-honed engineering excellence to the development of high-performance systems and their application beyond the track. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260520285726/en/ HTEC, a global AI-first engineering and digital product development company, and Motion Applied are expanding their collaboration following a successful track record in developing advanced solutions for the motorsport and transportation industry. The two companies have worked closely on complex engineering initiatives, contributing to the advancement of high
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom