Merck Completes Acquisition of JSR Life Sciences' Chromatography Business, Strengthening Protein A Technology and Expanding Downstream Portfolio

*This news release is a Japanese translation of the English news release announced by Merck in Darmstadt, Germany on April 1, 2026, with some additions for supplementary purposes. The official language of this document is English, and its content and interpretation shall be governed by the English version. For the English version, please refer here.

・ Expands downstream purification portfolio with next-generation Protein A chromatography, enabling scalable manufacturing

・ Integrates downstream workflows to improve productivity and support rapid access to critical therapeutics

Darmstadt, Germany, April 1, 2026 – Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the completion of its acquisition of JSR Life Sciences' chromatography business. This follows the agreement announced in October 2025.

This acquisition adds Amsphere™ Protein A resins and advanced Protein A chromatography technology to Merck's downstream process portfolio, enabling efficient and scalable purification of monoclonal antibodies. Combining these Protein A technologies with Merck's established portfolio will help customers improve productivity and achieve reliable manufacturing from development to commercial production.

Sebastian Araneda, Head of Process Solutions at Merck's Life Science business, stated: "As our customers' needs for rapid and efficient scaling of biopharmaceutical production grow, this acquisition strengthens our downstream purification technology. The expansion of our Protein A solutions will help enhance production processes and enable reliable large-scale manufacturing, ultimately allowing critical therapeutics to reach patients faster."

More than 50 employees from the Belgium-based chromatography division will join Merck as a result of this acquisition. This division provides chromatography solutions to pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies worldwide, possessing strong technical support capabilities and extensive application know-how. This will further strengthen Merck's offering of downstream products and services for antibody purification. The chromatography business will be integrated into Merck's Process Solutions business portfolio, providing comprehensive support for biopharmaceutical manufacturing from process development to full-scale production.

About Merck

Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and electronics. Around 62,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing genome editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – Merck is everywhere. In 2025, Merck generated sales of €21.1 billion in 65 countries.

Scientific exploration and entrepreneurial spirit have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has grown since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Electronics in electronics.

About Merck Ltd. (Japan)

Merck Ltd. was established in 1968 as Merck's Japanese subsidiary. It offers products and services related to life science, including basic research, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and drug discovery. Merck Ltd. is responsible for the life science business and Merck's administrative divisions. For more information about Merck Ltd., please click here.