Merck & Co. and Avecia Investments have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement by which Merck will acquire the biologics business of the Avecia group through a Merck affiliate (Merck Sharp & Dohme). Avecia Biologics is a contract manufacturing organization with specific expertise in microbial-derived biologics. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Under the terms of the agreement, Merck will acquire Avecia Biologics and all its assets, including all the company's process development and scale-up, manufacturing, quality and business support operations located in Billingham, UK. In addition to honoring all Avecia Biologics contractual commitments, Merck plans to engage in discussions with individual customers relating to their specific ongoing and future biological process development and manufacturing needs after the transaction is closed.