Bio-Techne shareholders approve Merck KGaA merger
The Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust waiting period expired on September 18, 2026, and Bio-Techne still expects the deal to close by late 2026 or early 2027
Published
Chart: TECH, one-minute prices, three sessions
Bio-Techne shareholders approved the company's merger with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, at a special meeting held September 23, 2026. A total of 121,929,544 shares were voted in favor.
"Joining Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany will bring together our complementary and leading life sciences organizations while delivering substantial, near-term cash value to Bio-Techne shareholders," said Kim Kelderman, Bio-Techne's President and Chief Executive Officer.
Shareholder approval and the cleared antitrust waiting period remove the two biggest near-term risks to the deal, leaving only routine non-US regulatory sign-off before closing. With the timeline unchanged, the arbitrage spread should keep narrowing toward the cash offer rather than reflect fresh deal risk. The vote confirms the transaction is on track rather than changing its outlook, which leaves shares already trading near the takeout price largely unaffected.