12.12.2022 • NewsMerckProteinsMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)

Germany’s Merck Buys Erbi Biosystems

Germany’s Merck has acquired Erbi Biosystems, a developer of the 2 ml micro-bioreactor platform technology known as the Breez. Financial terms were not disclosed. The company is based in the US state of Massachusetts.

The Darmstadt-headquartered pharmaceuticals, chemicals and life science group said the acquisition, which closed on Dec. 1, strengthens its upstream portfolio in therapeutic proteins by enabling scalable cell-based perfusion bioreactor processes from 2 ml to 2,000 L with rapid lab-scale process development.

Additionally, the deal billed as another milestone to accelerate innovation in Merck’s Process Solutions business unit through targeted smaller to medium-sized acquisitions offers future development opportunities in novel modality applications, including cell therapies, Merck said.

The Breez micro-bioreactor platform technology expands the upstream portfolio of the company’s BioContinuum Platform, which includes cell culture, cell retention, and bioreactor solutions for continuous bioprocessing.

Foto: Merck
Foto: Merck

As part of its intensified upstream ecosystem, Merck said the reactor will transform continuous process development through automation. It increases operator throughput by up to four times compared with other benchtop-scale systems to yield high-performing continuous processes that lower the cost of manufacturing and increase speed to market. Compared with competitive bioreactor platform technologies, it requires less bench space and no biosafety hood.

Erbi’s Breez is one of the few micro-scale, fully automated, functionally closed and continuous perfusion cell culture platform technologies on the market. Its footprint is also much smaller than that of other bioreactor platform technologies,” Darren Verlenden, head of Process Solutions, noted.

“By integrating the Breez in our extensive Mobius portfolio, we can now offer a full range of bioreactors, cell retention systems and devices, and cell culture media,” Verlenden added. “This increases the productivity of Merck’s upstream processes and will further accelerate the adoption of perfusion cell culture operations as our customers move towards more connected and continuous processing.”

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist

Innovation Pitch

The Start-up Platform for Chemistry & Life Sciences
Discover Tomorrow’s Innovators

The Start-up Platform for Chemistry & Life Sciences

CHEManager Innovation Pitch supports innovation in the chemistry and life sciences start-up scene. The platform allows founders, young entrepreneurs, and start-ups to present their companies to the industry.

Virtual Event

Digitalization in the Chemical Industry
CHEManager Spotlight

Digitalization in the Chemical Industry

Save the Date: October 22, 2025
The event will be promoted to a combined audience of over 100,000 professionals across Europe through the CHEManager and CITplus networks.

most read

Photo
28.07.2025 • NewsChemistry

VCI Welcomes US-EU Customs Deal

The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) welcomes the fact that Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and US President Donald Trump have averted the danger of a trade war for the time being.