PPD Acquires Merck's Vaccine Testing Laboratory

PPD, Inc. (Wilmington, NC) has entered into a strategic collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc. (Whitehouse Station, NJ), involving vaccine testing and assay development. Under the agreements, signed on December 31, PPD purchased Merck’s 130,000 square-foot vaccine testing laboratory and related equipment in Wayne, PA, and hired the nearly 80 Merck professionals who operate this facility. As part of this collaboration, PPD will be providing Merck with assay development and immunogenicity testing services to support Merck’s vaccine portfolio over a period of five years.

In addition, PPD will provide traditional central laboratory and sample storage services to Merck for its clinical development activities over a period of five years.The acquisition of Merck’s vaccine testing facility significantly expands PPD’s global central laboratory business, adding vaccine and biologic testing, assay development, and sample storage capabilities to its current suite of laboratory services. PPD plans to invest in the newly acquired laboratory by developing new technologies and assays to expand its immunochemistry and oncology vaccine testing services, and its biologics laboratory services for other biopharmaceutical clients.