The Bundeskartellamt has granted clearance for the acquisition of Bio-Techne, a US-based biotechnology firm, by Merck KGaA, headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany. This acquisition is also subject to notification in several EU and non-EU countries.

Merck KGaA, distinct from the US pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., operates globally in the fields of life science/biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and electronics. The company generates less than one-third of its revenue in Europe and offers a wide range of products and services for biotechnological research, drug development, and diagnostics under the name 'MilliporeSigma'.

Bio-Techne specializes in developing and distributing reagents, analytical devices, and diagnostic systems. The president of the Bundeskartellamt, Andreas Mundt, stated that the merger was approved after a brief but thorough review, noting that the offerings of Merck and Bio-Techne complement each other in many areas and only partially compete.

Despite some overlapping activities, the merger does not create a competitively concerning market position, as customers will continue to have access to multiple strong and innovative suppliers, including Thermo Fisher Scientific, DiaSorin, Danaher, and Bio-Rad. The review found no indications that the merger would significantly impede effective competition, allowing it to be approved in the first phase of the merger control process.