Merck has announced its financial results for the second quarter of 2026. The company delivered robust performance and upgraded its full-year guidance. Group net sales increased to € 5.4 billion, representing organic growth of 4.1 percent compared with the year-earlier quarter. Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation (EBITDA) pre grew organically by 9.3 percent to € 1.6 billion. This performance was driven by continued demand in Process Solutions, Rare Diseases and Semiconductor Solutions as well as disciplined execution and ongoing investments in research and innovation. Based on its robust performance and easing foreign exchange headwinds, Merck has upgraded its full-year guidance.

Kai Beckmann, Chairman of the Executive Board and Group CEO, Merck, said, “Our second-quarter performance confirms continued momentum from important growth drivers across all the industries we serve. Based on a robust underlying business, we continued to advance our mid- to long-term growth agenda as announced, including the proposed acquisition of Bio-Techne Corporation, USA. Following regulatory approvals and the fulfilment of closing conditions, this strategic acquisition will further strengthen our leadership in high-growth life science markets and support our ambition to provide integrated workflow solutions across the scientific value chain. Going forward, we remain focused on increasing speed, flexibility and scalability across the company while delivering profitable growth and sustainable value creation.”

During the second quarter, Merck announced an agreement to acquire Bio-Techne Corporation, USA. Upon closing, which is expected to take place by late 2026 or early 2027, the planned acquisition will deliver on the company’s mid- to long-term strategic agenda by expanding its presence in high-growth life science markets, strengthening its competitive position across the entire life science value chain and strengthening its focus on integrated workflow solutions.

In the second quarter of 2026, Merck generated Group net sales of € 5.4 billion, representing organic sales growth of 4.1 percent. The reported sales growth of 3.4 percent included foreign exchange effects of –‍1.1 percent. EBITDA pre increased to € 1.6 billion, with organic growth of 9.3 percent amid foreign exchange effects of –‍0.5 percent. This corresponds to an EBITDA pre margin of 29.4 percent, a 1.6 percentage point increase compared with the year-earlier quarter. Earnings per share pre increased to € 2.16.

Foreign exchange effects had a smaller impact on group sales and earnings in the second quarter compared with the significant headwinds experienced over the past year. The US dollar remained the primary driver, while several key Asian currencies continued to have a slightly negative effect on reported performance.

In an environment of continued geopolitical volatility and ongoing global conflicts, Merck benefits from its longstanding region-for-region approach built on close customer relationships and deep local market expertise. The company delivered growth across all regions in the second quarter, with Asia-Pacific leading with 8.5 percent organic sales growth. Overall, Asia-Pacific accounted for 33.5 percent of net sales, followed by Europe with 30.6 percent and North America with 25.5 percent.

The life science business delivered another strong quarter, with all 3 business units contributing to organic growth and broad-based momentum across regions. The performance reflects strong commercial execution under the new go-to-market model and contributions from new products. The proposed acquisition of Bio-Techne would add additional differentiated capabilities across research, bioprocessing and advanced therapeutics, strengthening life science’s offering in next-generation biology and further advancing its innovation-led growth strategy.

Net sales of life science increased by 6.4 percent to € 2.4 billion. Organic growth of 8 percent more than offset foreign exchange and minor portfolio effects. EBITDA pre was € 700 million, an organic increase of 8.2 percent Year-on-Year (YoY). The company increased R&D expenses and startup costs associated with new manufacturing sites, for example in Blarney, Ireland, and in Daejeon, Korea, to support future growth and advance its region-for-region strategy.

Process Solutions, which offers solutions for every step of pharmaceutical manufacturing, remained the main growth driver in the second quarter. Net sales grew organically by 14.7 percent, supported by strong momentum in downstream processing and single-use solutions. Performance was broad-based across regions, including China. Growth was driven by strong underlying demand and customer capacity expansion, further supported by temporarily higher purchasing activity of customers in Asia-Pacific.

Discovery Solutions, which supports research and early-stage discovery across biology, chemistry and analytical workflows, delivered organic sales growth of 2.1 percent. Growth spanned regions and markets, with early benefits from the go-to-market model becoming visible.

Advanced Solutions recorded solid organic sales growth of 4.4 percent. The business unit delivers tailored products and services that help customers address unique needs in high-touch and regulated environments. Both products and services contributed, with growth across key regions.

The life science business continued to expand its investment in R&D, with new products and differentiated capabilities making a growing contribution to performance. Examples of such investments during the second quarter include the launch of Viresolve Pro-S Solution. The virus filtration solution is designed to be more sustainable and improve throughput for complex and high-concentration monoclonal antibodies. Merck also introduced its first bio-based High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) solvents; these are produced from renewable feedstock and emit around 26 percent less CO2 equivalents on average without compromising performance.