Merck Life Sciences Acquires HUB Organoids
The Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, announced the closing of the transaction to acquire HUB Organoids Holding B.V. (HUB) following regulatory clearances and the fulfilment of other customary closing conditions. The acquisition, which closed on December 23, 2024, is a strategic step aligned with the company’s commitment to providing novel next-generation biology solutions to the life science industry, specifically by enabling wider access to HUB’s technology for more faster and more effective drug development. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“The use of organoids offers tremendous potential to improve the drug discovery process,” said Jean-Charles Wirth, Head of Science & Lab Solutions for the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “HUB’s advanced technology, combined with our cell culture expertise and broad portfolio, makes us a valuable resource for researchers looking to leverage the power of 3D cell culture to understand the impact of drug response earlier in the development process.”
HUB possesses the foundational patent portfolio on organoids and a robust service offering ranging from new model generation to assay development and high-throughput screening, enhancing Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany´s offering of cell culture tools to academia, biotech, and pharma customers. The team of approximately 70 employees is celebrating the acquisition together at the HUB campus in Utrecht, Netherlands.
About the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
The Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, has more than 28,000 employees and more than 55 total manufacturing and testing sites worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300,000 products focused on scientific discovery, biomanufacturing and testing services. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and electronics.
Around 63,000 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 providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2023, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of € 21 billion in 65 countries.
The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark “Merck” internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare and EMD Electronics in electronics. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company’s technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. For more information about Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, visit www.emdgroup.com.
GenDx and Treos Bio Announce Partnership to develop HLA-based Companion Diagnostic for PolyPEPI1018 Cancer Immunotherapy
GenDx, a Eurobio Scientific Company, based in the Netherlands, specialized in molecular diagnostics for transplantation, today announced a collaboration with Treos Bio, a UK based clinical stage
company, developing next generation of effective off-the-shelf peptide cancer immunotherapies. GenDx and Treos Bio will partner in the development and validation of an integrated companion
diagnostic (CDx) HLA-typing test for Treos Bio’s off-the-shelf peptide cancer immunotherapy candidate, PolyPEPI1018, for the treatment of microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancer.
Alan Hanjalic new Dean Faculty of Science
From 1 July 2026, prof. dr. Alan Hanjalic has been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Science by the Executive Board of Utrecht University (UU). He will also be appointed professor at UU. Currently, Hanjalic is professor of Computer Science and head of the Intelligent Systems department at TU Delft.
Building energy independence at the Utrecht Science Park
At the Utrecht Science Park, five institutions are joining forces to develop a collective aquifer thermal energy storage system (ATES). With this initiative, they are taking an important step toward a future-proof, largely fossil-free energy system. A thermal source for heating and cooling is currently being installed to connect the first buildings. By 2030, several more buildings are expected to be linked to this shared infrastructure. By mutually sharing heat and cold, the campus will significantly reduce its reliance on natural gas and external energy sources.
UtrechtInc has been recognized in the Financial Times “Europe’s Leading Startup Hubs 2026” ranking.
While UtrechtInc is proud of this recognition, the real stars of the story are the entrepreneurs, researchers, and students who walk through its doors every day.