Merck KGaA acquires heipha Dr. Müller GmbH

Dear valued customer,

We are pleased to inform you that Merck KGaA has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the microbiology business of Biotest AG. The Microbiology Business Unit of Biotest comprises the hygiene monitoring products (Hycon) from Biotest and its subsidiary heipha Dr. Müller GmbH. It is planned to integrate Biotest’s microbiology into the BioMonitoring business of Merck Millipore. The acquisition is a key part of Merck Millipore’s BioMonitoring strategy and will increase the product offering in the industrial microbiology.

For many years the products of heipha and Hycon have contributed to safety in the fields of hygiene monitoring, microbial product testing and many other microbiology applications. With this acquisition Merck Millipore will expand its product range – dehydrated media, sterility tests etc. – significantly. As a result, you, our customer, will benefit from a “one-stop-shop” product portfolio and combined research and development capabilities. You can expect that our state-of-the-art production techniques as well as our microbiology expertise and dedicated service and support will be maintained.

Subject to antitrust approvals, the closing of the transaction is expected in the second half of this year. Until that time, we will continue to operate as two independent businesses. For the time being there will be no changes for you. Sales contacts and ordering process will remain exactly the same until further notice.

Thank you for your continued support of Biotest Microbiology and heipha! We are excited about our future as part of Merck Millipore and look forward to continuing to serve you with our products and services.

Sincerely,

heipha GmbH