Merck Opens €25 million BioReliance Testing Facility in Darmstadt, Germany

Editor’s Take: The opening of the Darmstadt facility is one of several significant investments Merck has made to grow its global contract testing footprint. In 2024, the company opened a €290 million biosafety testing facility in Rockville, Maryland.

Merck has opened a new €25 million ($28.6 million) BioReliance testing facility at its global headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany—expanding access to commercial drug substance and drug product release testing as well as stability testing for biopharmaceutical companies developing and commercializing therapies in Europe.

“As demand for biologics and novel therapies continues to grow, our customers need reliable, compliant testing capabilities closer to where their products are developed and commercialized,” said Paolo Carli, Head of Advanced Solutions for the Life Science business of Merck. “Our new testing facility combines best-in-class analytical characterization services with more than 75 years of BioReliance expertise to help our European customers move critical therapies toward patients with greater speed and confidence.”

The 2,000-square-meter facility is designed to help customers meet European requirements for in-region drug substance and drug product release testing and expands the company’s ability to support customers from drug development through commercialization. The site will also offer GMP-compliant stability studies for monoclonal antibodies and cell therapies, addressing the growing demand for biologics testing across Europe. The facility will employ a growing team with headcount projected to expand significantly over the next few years to support client demand.

Located close to major clinical trial sites in Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy, the facility is strategically positioned to support biopharmaceutical companies seeking to release drug products into European markets. By adding these capabilities in the heart of Europe, Merck is strengthening its support for customers managing increasingly complex development, quality and regulatory requirements.