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
‘Concrete in Life 2025/26’ Winners Announced – Spectacular Photographs From Around the World22.4.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
Powerful and striking images from around the world have been chosen as the winners of the Concrete in Life 2025/26 global photography competition, showcasing the essential role concrete plays in daily life, infrastructure, cities, and design. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260422352135/en/ OVERALL WINNER: Pillars Across the Sea by Celbert Palaganas, Cebu City, Philippines Run by the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), the annual competition received more than 20,000 entries from professional and amateur photographers, as well as smartphone users, spanning every continent. The competition highlights how concrete supports modern life while also offering moments of beauty, creativity and human connection. Thomas Guillot, Chief Executive of the GCCA, said: “The spectacular images submitted this year show concrete’s positive impact on people’s lives all over the world - sometimes practical, sometimes al
Netceed Publishes Its First Environmental, Social and Governance Report22.4.2026 10:30:00 EEST | Press release
Netceed, a global infrastructure supply chain solutions provider, has published our first Annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, marking a major milestone in the Group’s sustainability journey and reinforcing our commitment to transparency, accountability, and responsible business practices. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260422579806/en/ Netceed Sustainability Report 2025 The report presents Netceed’s progress across environmental, social, and governance topics, including the verification of its carbon footprint data by an independent third party and the completion of its first climate risk analysis. Key highlights include: A reduction in Scope 1 and 2 CO2e emissions compared to 2024 Improved gender diversity in senior management positions – we now have 23% of senior management positions filled by women 70% of our suppliers (by spend) are working with us on our climate action priorities A
IONCHI toivottaa AITO:n tervetulleeksi liittymään BMW:n ja Mercedes-Benzin kanssa premium-tason suurteholatausverkostojen kehittämiseen Kiinassa22.4.2026 10:21:00 EEST | Tiedote
IONCHI, BMW:n ja Mercedes-Benzin yhteisyritys suurteholatauspalvelujen alalla, ilmoitti tänään, että SERES liittyy yhtiöön tasavertaisena osakkaana. Tämän omistusjärjestelyn kautta SERES-konsernin premium-brändi AITO tukee IONCHI:n premium-latausinfrastruktuurin kehittämistä. Tämän lisäyksen myötä IONCHI jatkaa korkealaatuisten latauspalvelujen tarjoamista kehittyneen teknologian ja digitaalisten palvelujen avulla kaikille soveltuville ajoneuvoille sekä tarjoaa eksklusiivisia latauskokemuksia BMW:n, AITO:n ja Mercedes-Benzin asiakkaille. Laajentunut kolmen osapuolen kumppanuus merkitsee uuden vaiheen alkua premium-latausverkoston kehityksessä, mahdollistaen lisäkasvun ja laajemman asiakaskunnan. Kukin kolmesta osakkaasta omistaa 33,3 % yhteisyrityksestä. Vuonna 2024 perustettu IONCHI pyrkii parantamaan Kiinan premium-tasoista sähköisen liikkumisen kokemusta huipputeknisen julkisen suurteholatausverkoston avulla. Verkosto keskittyy keskeisiin sijainteihin kaupunkialueilla yhdistäen ultr
Europcar Mobility Group Announces Exclusive Partnership With MIC Co., Ltd. to Expand Presence in Japan22.4.2026 10:02:00 EEST | Press release
Europcar Mobility Group has entered into an exclusive partnership agreement with MIC Co., Ltd., the operator of Japan’s extensive "Niconico Rent-A-Car" network. This landmark agreement marks Europcar Mobility Group’s first exclusive partnership in the Japanese market, aimed at providing seamless mobility solutions for the growing number of international travelers visiting the region. Enhancing possibilities for Inbound Travelers Since April 10, 2026, customers can book car rentals at Niconico Rent-A-Car’s directly-operated airport locations through Europcar’s global booking platform, allowing foreign travelers to arrange their transportation in Japan from overseas using a familiar interface, eliminating common booking hurdles and improving the overall travel experience.To date, the service is available across key gateway locations: Major Airports: Haneda, Narita, New Chitose, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Nagasaki, and Kumamoto. Key Transit Hubs: Shin-Yokohama Station and Kansai Airport Rinku To
SkySparc Acquires Covarius and Uniun22.4.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
SkySparc, a trusted global provider of digital transformation solutions for treasury and finance institutions, today announced the acquisition of Covarius Group Limited (“Covarius”) and Uniun Technology Limited (“Uniun”). The acquisitions accelerate SkySparc’s European expansion and deepen its specialist support for treasury transformation. Financial terms were not disclosed. Covarius and Uniun operate complementary businesses together enabling a more complete, end-to-end treasury solution. Covarius specialises in the implementation and optimisation of treasury management systems, underpinned by deep partnerships and a well-established global presence. Uniun adds a real-time, API-based integration platform focused on ERP-to-TMS connectivity and cash forecasting, supported by AI and data science. For clients, the combined proposition the two companies bring centres on improved cash visibility and stronger cash flow prediction, with greater automation across treasury workflows, improving
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