Germany's antitrust authority clears Merck's Bio-Techne deal

Merck KGaA (Darmstadt) had agreed on 25 June 2026 to acquire US life-science company Bio-Techne (Minneapolis) for USD 73 per share (enterprise value around USD 11.3 billion / EUR 10 billion), strengthening its cell and gene therapy and precision diagnostics business. Germany's Federal Cartel Office cleared the merger on 17 August 2026 'after a short but intensive review'; clearances in other jurisdictions are still pending, with completion expected late 2026 or early 2027. The June announcement had not been recorded in the tracker; this entry is the authoritative one. Update (23 September 2026): The US waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act expired on 18 September 2026, and Bio-Techne shareholders approved the takeover at a special meeting on 23 September 2026; completion is still expected in late 2026/early 2027 once the remaining clearances are in place (Bio-Techne release via BioSpace, 23 September 2026, https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/bio-techne-shareholders-approve-acquisition-by-merck-kgaa-darmstadt-germany).