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
vVARDIS Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering13.11.2026 07:02:00 EET | Press release
vVARDIS Holding AG (“vVARDIS”), a Swiss healthcare company operating in the dental med-tech sector, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 9,722,223 Class A ordinary shares at a public offering price of $18.00 per share. In connection with the offering, vVARDIS has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,458,333 Class A ordinary shares at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments. The Class A ordinary shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on November 13, 2026 under the symbol “VVVV.” The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about November 16, 2026 subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan are acting as joint bookrunning managers for the offering, with William Blair, UBS Investment Bank and Deutsche Bank Securities acting as bookrunners. A registration statement on Form F-1 relating to the offering has been file
Empire State Building Observation Deck to Debut ‘Olympus Awaits,’ An Immersive ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Takeover in the Heart of NYC, On Display from Nov. 16 – Dec. 4*13.11.2026 00:07:00 EET | Press release
The Empire State Building (ESB) is the gateway to Mount Olympus in Percy Jackson’s world, and now fans can experience the magic like never before. On Nov. 16, the Empire State Building Observation Deck (ESBOD) will unveil “Olympus Awaits,” a multi-level “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” takeover, in partnership with Disney+. The immersive takeover – included with every Observation Deck ticket – will feature an epic Throne Room, interactive photo opportunities, surprise giveaways, ESB x “Percy Jackson” merch, and more, available through Dec. 4, 2026.* This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261112442266/en/ Empire State Building Observation Deck to Debut ‘Olympus Awaits,’ An Immersive ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Takeover in the Heart of NYC, On Display from Nov. 16 – Dec. 4* “This immersive NYC experience brings Percy Jackson’s adventures off the screen and into the ‘World’s Most Famous Building,’ where guests ca
Clene Nanomedicine Partners with Veristat to Reduce Biostatistical Output Time by 80% for ALS New Drug Application12.11.2026 19:09:00 EET | Press release
VeristatTM, a global clinical research organization (CRO) and consultancy specializing in complex studies, announced that it has partnered with Clene Nanomedicine to cut the time to deliver biostatistical outputs for a pivotal ALS drug application submission by 80%. Veristat reduced the time from study data to validated tables, listings and figures (TLFs) from up to six weeks to just one week. Clene, a late-stage biotech company, leveraged Veristat’s recently launched InStat™ platform, the industry’s first zero-code, fully automated solution to accelerate clinical trial processes. Biostatistical TLFs sit on the critical path for submissions, yet most sponsors rely on antiquated processes that involve slow, manual workflows to produce them, making post-database lock one of the biggest bottlenecks to regulatory approval. To remove this barrier, Veristat uses its AI-enhanced platform to compress the timeline to submission-ready TLFs from weeks to days, with every output validated by stati
WHOOP Launches WHOOP Humans, the Most Verifiably Human Social Network12.11.2026 19:00:00 EET | Press release
WHOOP, the human performance brand, today launched WHOOP Humans, a new feature that lets members follow friends and family, share fitness, health, and performance data they choose, and support each other's progress. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261112176779/en/ WHOOP Launches WHOOP Humans, the Most Verifiably Human Social Network For more than a decade, WHOOP has helped members better understand their own health and performance. Now, WHOOP Humans extends that experience beyond the individual, making it easier to celebrate achievements, encourage progress, and look out for the people who matter most. "In a world that's becoming increasingly artificial, we're building something deeply human,” said Will Ahmed, Founder and CEO of WHOOP. “This is the most verifiably human network ever launched. Every account represents a real person with a verified heartbeat. They have real goals, challenges, and achievements. T
Integrated Hubs for Green Chemistry Research Aim to Transform How Chemicals and Materials Are Designed12.11.2026 18:00:00 EET | Press release
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation today announced four Integrated Research Hubs to explore new frontiers in chemical design, from materials that respond to their surroundings to molecules designed for safety from the start. Bringing together global researchers across institutions and disciplines, the hubs will investigate fundamental principles that could enable new capabilities in chemicals and materials while improving performance and protecting human health and the environment. The research priorities emerged through extensive engagement with the scientific community to identify the questions that could transform what chemistry can achieve. Each hub will connect researchers across institutions around one of four green chemistry focus areas: Safer molecular design: Led by The George Washington University, this hub will combine artificial intelligence and quantum chemistry to embed safety into chemical design from the outset. Adaptive catalytic systems: Led by the Max Planck Insti
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