Merck Signs Distribution Agreement with Avanti® Polar Lipids

• Merck to distribute top lipid portfolio outside of United States
• Improves customer access through e-commerce platform

Darmstadt, Germany, December 11, 2017 — Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Avanti® Polar Lipids to be the exclusive multinational distributor of the USA-based company’s research lipids portfolio outside of the United States.

Under the terms of the agreement, Merck will employ its sales, marketing and e-commerce expertise to distribute Avanti® Polar Lipids research lipid portfolio. The distribution agreement includes all geographies worldwide except for the United States, where Avanti® Polar Lipids will continue to reach customers via its own channels. Financial details were not disclosed.

“High-quality lipids are an essential component of precision in the laboratory,” said Klaus Bischoff, Head of the Research Solutions business area, Life Science at Merck. “Avanti® Polar Lipids’ research lipids strengthen Merck’s overall Life Science portfolio, giving our customers access to a broad portfolio of the highest purity lipids on the market.”

Merck offers a complete portfolio of products and solutions that enable scientific discovery, including life science reagents and kits, lab and specialty chemicals and lab separation and workflow tools.

Avanti® Polar Lipids is a leading manufacturer and supplier of the highest purity lipids for research and pharmaceutical product development. Through this agreement, customers outside of the United States will have enhanced, on-demand access to the Avanti® research lipid portfolio through the life science business of Merck’s robust e-commerce platform, SigmaAldrich.com, regional inventory and company sales representatives. Products will be stocked globally for improved availability to customers.

Transition of approximately 2,000 products from the Avanti® research lipid portfolio to Merck is expected to be completed in early 2018. In the interim, these products will continue to be available through existing Avanti® Polar Lipids’ channels.

Avanti® lipidomics products included in this agreement provide a new approach to answer fundamental questions about lipid structure and function and meet the demands of lipid researchers. For more information, visit www.SigmaAldrich.com/Avanti.

メルクについて
Merck（メルク）はヘルスケア、ライフサイエンス、パフォーマンスマテリアルズの分野における世界有数のサイエンスとテクノロジー企業です。がんや多発性硬化症のためのバイオ医薬品を用いた治療法から、科学研究と生産に関する最先端システム、スマートフォンや液晶テレビ向けの液晶材料にいたるまで、約53,000人の従業員が人々の暮らしをより良くする技術の一層の進歩を目指しています。2017年は66カ国で153億ユーロの売上高を計上しました。

メルクは1668年に創業された世界で最も歴史の長い医薬・化学品会社で、 創業家が今でも、上場企業が率いるメルクグループの株式の過半数を所有しています。メルクの名称およびブランドのグローバルな権利は、メルクが保有しています。唯一の例外は米国とカナダで、両国ではEMDセローノ、ミリポアシグマ、EMDパフォーマンスマテリアルズとして事業を行っています。