Merck KGaA Completes Acquisition of JSR Chromatography Business to Expand Protein A Purification Capabilities
Key Insights
Merck KGaA has completed its acquisition of JSR Life Sciences (search)' chromatography business, adding advanced Protein A (search) chromatography capabilities and Amsphere Protein A resins (search) to its downstream processing portfolio.
The acquisition enhances Merck's ability to support monoclonal antibody purification for treatments of autoimmune disorders (search), cancers (search), and infectious diseases (search).
The deal includes chromatography operations in Belgium and over 50 employees, expanding Merck's process solutions portfolio for biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
Germany-based Merck KGaA has completed its previously announced acquisition of the chromatography business of JSR Life Sciences (search), following the signing of a definitive agreement in October 2025. The strategic acquisition significantly expands Merck's downstream processing capabilities for biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
Enhanced Protein A Purification Portfolio
The deal adds advanced Protein A (search) chromatography capabilities and Amsphere Protein A resins (search) to Merck's existing downstream processing portfolio, specifically targeting monoclonal antibody purification. Protein A chromatography represents an essential technology for the purification of antibodies and therapeutic proteins, which are utilized in the treatment of autoimmune disorders (search), cancers (search), and infectious diseases (search).
The acquisition is designed to support scalable purification and reliable manufacturing processes from development through commercial scale, addressing the growing demand for biologics manufacturing efficiency.
Operational Expansion and Integration
The acquisition includes chromatography operations in Belgium and brings more than 50 employees into Merck's organization. These teams supply solutions to biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide, expanding Merck's global reach in the chromatography market.
Merck plans to integrate the acquired business into its process solutions portfolio, which provides comprehensive support to customers in biopharmaceutical manufacturing from process development to complete manufacturing operations.
Strategic Impact on Biologics Manufacturing
Sebastián Arana, head of Merck's process solutions within the life science business, emphasized the strategic timing of the acquisition: "This acquisition expands our downstream purification capabilities at a time when customers are pushing to scale biologics faster and more efficiently."
Arana further explained the expected benefits: "With expanded Protein A (search) offerings, we can help customers strengthen process consistency, support reliable manufacturing at scale, and ultimately accelerate access to critical therapies."
Company Profile
Merck KGaA currently employs over 62,000 people across 65 countries and generated sales of €21.1 billion ($24.4 billion) in 2025. The acquisition strengthens the company's position in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing support sector, particularly in the critical area of antibody purification technologies.