Merck KGaA to leave contract manufacturing, selling five US sites to Lonza
- Merck KGaA agreed to sell its US contract development and manufacturing business, comprising five manufacturing sites, to Lonza, ending its CDMO activity.
- Roughly 1,100 employees would move to Lonza, which would expand its US CDMO network from four sites to nine.
- The sites support antibody-drug conjugate, bioconjugate and viral vector programs from clinical stage to commercial supply.
- Closing is expected in mid-2027, subject to customary conditions; Merck says the sale sharpens its life science focus.
💡 Points Based on public reports
Five sites take Lonza's US network from four to nine, and the mix matters more than the count: ADC, bioconjugate and viral vector capacity is where demand is tight. Merck KGaA is stepping out of a scale game it was not going to win. Unknown: price, utilization, and how many customer contracts survive until the mid-2027 close.
Merck KGaA to exit CDMO business, divesting US sites to Lonza ↗