In an exclusive interview with BioPharma APAC, Heather Hargett, Head of Cell Biology Reagents & Tools at MilliporeSigma ( Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), sheds light on the transformative potential of Merck’s acquisition of HUB Organoids. From advancing 3D cell culture technologies to redefining ethical drug development, this strategic move aligns with Merck’s vision of sustainability, innovation, and inclusion in the biopharmaceutical industry. Heather discusses how organoids can reduce reliance on animal testing, accelerate drug discovery, and foster greater diversity in clinical research, offering a comprehensive view of Merck’s integration plans and its ambitious outlook for the Asia-Pacific region.

How does the acquisition of HUB Organoids enhance Merck's existing portfolio in 2D and 3D cell culture technologies?

HUB is one of the foremost institutions and pioneers in organoids, 3-dimensional (3D) cellular models grown in vitro which reflect the structure and function of organs inside the human body.

This offering fits well into Merck’s Science and Lab Solutions business which offers academia, biotech, and pharma customers a wide range of cell culture tools - from media and reagents to benchtop instrumentation. This acquisition reflects Merck’s strategy to leverage our market standing by enabling wider access to HUB’s technology for more effective, faster, and more ethical drug development.   

What benefits can drug developers and researchers expect from incorporating HUB's organoid technology into Merck's offerings?

The acquisition of HUB will significantly benefit drug developers and researchers by providing greater access to organoid technologies, simplifying the licensing process, and enhancing support for organoid experiments. HUB’s bespoke assay development services will open new avenues for support. Customers will enjoy enhanced customization, accelerated development, access to advanced technologies, improved efficiency, and comprehensive regulatory support. This acquisition will also foster closer partnerships, offering ongoing support and collaboration, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and success.

Can you elaborate on how organoids have the potential to reduce reliance on animal testing and accelerate drug development?

Reduced Reliance on Animal Testing: New drugs must undergo extensive testing to ensure safety and efficacy, and part of this process currently involves testing on animal models. While these are critical steps today, the advancement of organoids could provide more effective and indicative results and may allow researchers to limit their reliance on animal testing and could perhaps – one day – help eliminate the need overall as indicated in the FDA Modernization Act 2.0/3.0 and Directive 2010/63/EU.

Accelerated Drug Development: Organoids offer improved understanding of drug response earlier in the development process which allows for researchers to more accurately assess how drug candidates interact with the human body and if they create the desired result or have unexpected side effects. This level of insight allows researchers to fail faster in the process of evaluating candidates and focus their time and investment on the more promising results. These aspects enhance our ability to shorten the drug development process, potentially by years.

In what ways does this acquisition align with Merck's sustainability, diversity, and inclusion goals within the biopharmaceutical industry?

Merck’s aspiration is to provide sustainable innovations and technologies for our customers and the use of organoids supports this aspiration by potentially allowing researchers to limit their reliance on animal testing by reducing stages in the R&D process and positively contributing to environmentally sustainable alternatives.

Merck has also committed to design inclusive trials that follow external guidance and best practices related to diversity of patients and organoids create opportunities for genetically diverse populations to be reflected in research. This allows scientists to better understand drug interaction in patient populations that are often missing in clinical trials or even global geographies that have been historically neglected in clinical research overall.

With the organoids market expected to show double-digit growth over the next decade, how does Merck plan to capitalize on this trend?

Merck is focusing on next-generation biology as one of their strategic innovation vectors and this acquisition furthers their portfolio leadership position and commitment to providing novel solutions to the life science industry.

What synergies do you anticipate between Merck's current cell biology technologies and HUB's pioneering expertise in organoid development?

This acquisition is about growth for Merck’s Biology portfolio and strengthening their commitment to driving next generation biology. Expertise from both Merck and HUB will be extremely important going forward and they plan to combine the expertise to strengthen their capabilities and capacity to serve this exciting market.

Looking ahead to 2025 after the transaction closes, what are Merck's plans for integrating HUB's operations, and how will this influence your strategy in the Asia-Pacific region?

Upon acquisition, HUB will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Merck KGaA. The current HUB organization will integrate with Merck’s Biology franchise. The CEO of HUB will be joining the franchise management team. The Biology franchise is part of the Science and Lab Solutions (SLS) business unit in the Life Science business sector. 

Merck will be evaluating their ability to serve additional markets, including the APAC region.