MilliporeSigma Expands Distribution Agreement with Roche in Canada

-- MilliporeSigma to be the exclusive supplier of novel enzymes for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR, for all countries except the U.S., Brazil and Japan

-- Exclusive global distributor for Roche's biochemical reagents portfolio since 2015

BILLERICA, Mass., Dec. 1, 2016 /CNW/ -- MilliporeSigma today announced an expansion of its distribution alliance with Roche to include the polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) enzyme products of Kapa Biosystems, a company acquired by Roche in 2015.

The addition of the Kapa portfolio strengthens MilliporeSigma's existing distribution relationship with Roche by providing one of the most complementary suites of high-performance tools for PCR and qPCR in the industry today.

"The alliance extension with Roche will offer our customers greater access to novel products via our world-class distribution channel," said Udit Batra, Member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and CEO, MilliporeSigma. "These enzymes represent a significant advantage over commercially available DNA polymerases and thus offer the potential for entirely new PCR applications."                                   

Under the terms of the agreement, MilliporeSigma will employ its sales, marketing and e-commerce expertise and leverage the strength of its relationships with the scientific community to present and distribute Kapa PCR and quantitative PCR reagents and kits.  The distribution agreement includes all geographies except the U.S., Japan and Brazil. Financial details were not disclosed.

Roche inked the global exclusive distribution agreement for its Biochemical Reagents portfolio with Sigma-Aldrich in July 2015. Following the acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in the same year, this agreement became an important part of the life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, driving growth in its life science business and offering premier brand tools for genomics, proteomics and cell analysis.

The novel PCR enzymes offered under the expanded distribution agreement have improved tolerance to common PCR inhibitors, increased speed and specific activity, and higher fidelity. These characteristics enable higher quality results and improved workflows.ⁱ

Transition of Kapa's PCR and qPCR portfolios to MilliporeSigma is expected to be completed by January 1, 2017. In the interim, these products will continue to be available through existing Kapa channels. For more information, visit www.sigma-aldrich.com/kapa.

ⁱ Data on file

About the Life Science Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

The life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, has 19,000 employees and 65 manufacturing sites worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300,000 products enabling scientific discovery. Udit Batra is the global chief executive officer of MilliporeSigma.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany completed its $17 billion acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich in November 2015, creating a leader in the $125 billion global life science industry.

Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany is a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials. The company has six businesses – Biopharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Allergopharma, Biosimilars, Life Science and Performance Materials – and generated sales of €12.85 billion in 2015. Around 50,000 employees work in 66 countries to improve the quality of life for patients, to foster the success of customers and to help meet global challenges.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company – since 1668, the company has stood for innovation, business success and responsible entrepreneurship. Holding an approximately 70 percent interest, the founding family remains the majority owner of the company to this day. The company the global rights to the name and the trademark "Merck" internationally except for the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161122/442199

SOURCE MilliporeSigma

Karen Tiano, [phone], http://www.emdgroup.com