Merck inaugurates new biosafety testing facility in Rockville

USA—Merck KGaA, a global science and technology company based in Germany, has inaugurated a new biosafety testing facility of €290 million ($317.6 million) in Rockville, Maryland, USA.

The state-of-the-art 23,000-square-meter facility is designed to provide a comprehensive range of services, including biosafety testing, analytical development, and cell banking manufacturing.

This new site consolidates multiple labs, previously spread across four buildings, into a single, unified location.

By combining these operations, the facility aims to boost collaboration among scientists and increase the level of automation and digitalization to enhance efficiency and ensure a higher rate of Right First Time (RFT) results.

Since 2019, Merck has been steadily expanding its biosafety testing capabilities, with an extensive global network in Shanghai, China; Singapore; Stirling and Glasgow, UK; and Rockville, Maryland, USA.

One key feature of the new facility is the Blazar CHO Animal Origin-Free (AOF) panel, which is part of Merck’s rapid methods package, with the Blazar CHO AOF panel being a targeted molecular tool for detecting specific virus families.

When combined with additional assays for detecting mycoplasma, sterility, and retrovirus-like particles, this panel can deliver test results within 14 days—much faster than the 35 days required by traditional assay methods.

Additionally, the facility is equipped with the Aptegra platform, the first validated, all-in-one genetic stability assay of its kind.

These innovations will enhance the company’s ability to deliver faster and more reliable testing services while also ensuring stringent regulatory compliance.

Commenting on the expansion, Benjamin Hein, Head of Life Science Services at Merck’s Life Science business, highlighted that this is the largest investment in contract testing in the company’s history.

He emphasized that the Rockville facility will be an integrated hub for automation and technology development.

Hein added that this investment highlights Merck’s commitment to providing cutting-edge platforms that shorten biosafety testing timelines and meet the growing global demand for these services, ensuring the safety and quality of medicines for patients worldwide.

In addition to the Rockville site, Merck also announced a €62 million (US$66.6 million) investment in June 2024 to construct a new quality control facility for its Life Science business at its Darmstadt headquarters. 

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