Repligen acquires BioLife Solutions in $1.5 billion cell therapy push

Repligen Corp announced on Wednesday it will acquire BioLife Solutions in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.5 billion. The deal is designed to expand Repligen’s presence in the cell therapy market, granting the drugmaking equipment provider access to BioLife’s cell preservation technology and its portfolio of high-margin consumables.

Under the terms of the agreement, BioLife shareholders will receive $11.25 in cash and 0.1442 Repligen shares for each share held. This package values BioLife at $31 per share, representing a 6.2% premium to the company’s last closing price. Both boards of directors have unanimously approved the transaction.

The acquisition provides Repligen with BioLife’s technology for preserving cells throughout the manufacturing process and supply chain, alongside its cell-processing tools. Repligen stated the move is expected to increase earnings and generate at least $20 million in savings in the first year after closing, driven by the elimination of overlapping costs and improved operational efficiency.

The deal arrives as the bioprocessing sector shows signs of recovery from a broader slowdown in research spending and customer inventories. Larger peer Danaher recently indicated a resurgence in demand for bioprocessing products, including equipment and consumables used to manufacture biologic drugs, as pharmaceutical companies ramp up spending.

This transaction follows a period of strategic narrowing for BioLife, which sold its evo cold-chain logistics unit for $25.5 million in October 2025 to focus more intently on cell and gene therapy products. The acquisition also mirrors recent industry consolidation, coming a month after German drugmaker Merck KGaA announced an $11.3 billion deal to buy Bio-Techne, highlighting growing investor interest in firms supplying drug development tools.

Pending regulatory and shareholder approvals, the deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026.