Merck has acquired Erbi Biosystems, the developer of the 2-mL microbioreactor platform technology known as Breez™. The acquisition closed on December 1, 2022. Financial terms were not disclosed. Combinng the technologies of both companies aenables rapid laboratory testing for bioprocess scale-up. The Process Solutions business, along with the Life Science Services business unit, is one of Merck’s “Big 3” growth drivers.

Erbi’s Breez™ is one of the few fully automated, functionally closed, and continuous perfusion cell culture platforms on the microscale. The microbioreactor platform technology enables scalable cell-based perfusion bioreactor processes from 2 mL to 2000 L with rapid process development at the laboratory scale.

The Breez™ microbioreactor platform technology expands the upstream portfolio of Merck’s BioContinuum™ platform, which includes cell culture, cell retention, and bioreactor solutions for continuous bioprocessing. As part of Merck’s upstream ecosystem, Breez™ will transform continuous process development through automation. It increases operator throughput by up to four times compared to other benchtop-scale systems, enabling high-performance continuous processes that reduce manufacturing costs and accelerate time to market. Compared to competing bioreactor platforms, it requires less bench space and no biosafety hood.

• Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
• Erbi Biosystems, Stoneham, MA, USA