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
Sharjah Advocates More Dominant Role for Women in Technology under 2050 Roadmap24.9.2026 19:38:00 EEST | Press release
As artificial intelligence reshapes global economies, the UAE is placing women at the heart of its global ambitions positioning them not only as participants, but as key contributors to the AI future. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260924186173/en/ Women leaders and technology experts during a session at the Women in Technology 2026 Forum in Sharjah (Photo: AETOSWire) The message was echoed by Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK), who urged women to move beyond participation in technology to playing a leading role in shaping the future. Addressing the seventh edition of the Women in Technology 2026 Forum, hosted by SPARK on the theme “The 2050 Mindset,” HH Sheikha Bodour said: “2050 may seem far away, but it is being shaped by the decisions we make, the research we fund and the technologies we develop today. Women must t
MultiBank Group Founder and Chairman Naser Taher Named Financial Leader of the Year at Gulf Business Awards 202624.9.2026 18:39:00 EEST | Press release
Naser Taher, Founder and Chairman of MultiBank Group, one of the world’s largest financial derivatives institutions, was named Financial Leader of the Year at the Gulf Business Awards 2026. Presented during a ceremony held on 23 September at The Ritz-Carlton JBR, Dubai, the award was part of the Editor’s Choice category. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260924454616/en/ Naser Taher, Founder and Chairman of MultiBank Group, one of the world’s largest financial derivatives institutions, was named Financial Leader of the Year at the Gulf Business Awards 2026 The recognition comes after Taher lead the expansion of MultiBank Group for more than two decades, from its founding in 2005 to a financial institution serving more than four million clients across 100 countries today. Under his leadership, the Group has built a presence under more than 18 financial regulators across five continents and recorded daily trading
Multiple Industry Honors Reinforce CSG/Netcracker Leadership in Customer Journey Orchestration and AI Innovation24.9.2026 18:05:00 EEST | Press release
The next phase of customer experience hinges on how well brands turn customer data into relevant communications, real-time action, and responsible, proven AI use. CSG® and Netcracker Technology today announced that CSG has been named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Customer Journey Orchestration Platforms, Q3 2026, with the highest possible scores in 19 of 23 Forrester Wave™ criteria. CSG Xponent, a best-in-class customer engagement platform, helps brands land timelier, more relevant communications that drive customer action, secure loyalty, and bolster measurable business results. The Forrester Wave™: Customer Journey Orchestration Platforms states that, “CSG earns superior scores across the core journey intelligence and orchestration capabilities that define this market. Its excellent journey simulation, predictive intelligence, and decisioning capabilities help organizations evaluate likely outcomes before introducing changes into live journeys, improving decision confidence and re
Vasion Ⓡ Enhances Global Partner Program to Accelerate AI-Powered Automation24.9.2026 17:05:00 EEST | Press release
VasionⓇ, the Intelligent Print Automation platform trusted by more than 14,000 organizations worldwide, today unveiled a comprehensive refresh of its Global Partner Program. The program delivers the resources partners expect from Vasion: always-on incentives, structured onboarding, elevated enablement, and a rebuilt portal experience, all engineered to help partners scale, compete, and deliver stronger customer outcomes as agentic AI reshapes how enterprises automate work. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260924791639/en/ Agentic print and document workflow environments remain an overlooked channel opportunity, as enterprises race toward agentic automation. IDC forecasts that by 2026, 40% of all Global 2000 job roles will involve working with AI agents, redefining long-held traditional entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level positions [1]. IDC's research points to this new class of AI reshaping not just how fa
The Only AI Crypto Lead Prioritization Solution Built With Law Enforcement, for Law Enforcement: Elliptic Launches Pulse24.9.2026 16:15:00 EEST | Press release
Elliptic, the global leader in on-chain risk, today launched Pulse. Pulse puts crypto lead prioritization directly in the hands of every frontline law enforcement and government officer. Crypto now touches every part of law enforcement, from the patrol officer on the street to the detective assigned to investigate the case. Pulse gives each of them a quick, accurate financial summary and a starting point: whether that's a crypto address on a suspect's phone, in a scam ATM victim's receipt, uncovered during a vehicle or pocket search, or found at the scene of an overdose, an arrest, or a seizure. An officer can input anything that looks like a wallet address or transaction hash. Pulse identifies it, reasons over the result, and returns a summary in plain language, enough for the officer to decide on the spot whether the case needs escalation. If a case needs further investigation, one click sends the full analysis forward, not just the evidence. The criminal investigations division gets
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