MilliporeSigma acquired Erbi Biosystems

Photo: MilliporeSigma.

BURLINGTON — MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has acquired Massachusetts-based Erbi Biosystems, a developer of the two ml micro-bioreactor platform technology, known as the Breez.

The deal strengthens MilliporeSigma’s upstream portfolio in therapeutic proteins by enabling scalable cell-based perfusion bioreactor processes from two ml to 2000L with rapid lab-scale process development. It also offers future development opportunities in novel modality applications, including cell therapies. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“Erbi’s Breez is one of the few micro-scale, fully automated, functionally closed and continuous perfusion cell culture platform technologies on the market. Its footprint is also much smaller than that of other bioreactor platform technologies,” said Darren Verlenden, head of process solutions, Life Science business sector of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “By integrating the Breez in our extensive Mobius portfolio, we can now offer a full range of bioreactors, cell retention systems and devices, and cell culture media. This increases the productivity of our upstream processes and will further accelerate the adoption of perfusion cell culture operations as our customers move towards more connected and continuous processing.”