Lonza signed an agreement to acquire five US CDMO manufacturing sites from Merck KGaA for a low- to mid-triple-digit million-euro enterprise valuation, with closing expected in mid-2027. The transaction expands Lonza’s US footprint from four to nine CDMO sites and adds roughly 1,100 employees, strengthening development and commercial manufacturing capacity. Merck KGaA will divest CDMO operations tied to sites in Carlsbad, California; Madison and Verona, Wisconsin; and Indianapolis, Indiana, plus bioconjugation operations in St. Louis, Missouri. BioReliance Contract Testing Services will remain within Merck KGaA’s life sciences portfolio. The combined offering is positioned to better support high-growth categories such as antibody-drug conjugates, bioconjugates, viral vectors, and advanced delivery technologies—areas where CDMO capacity has tightened and customers are seeking end-to-end execution.