Repligen to acquire BioLife for $1.5 billion, adding cell therapy preservation to its business

Repligen to acquire BioLife for $1.5 billion, adding cell therapy preservation to its business

On July 22, Repligen and BioLife Solutions announced an agreement under which BioLife shareholders will receive 64% of the transaction value in Repligen shares and 36% in cash. The companies expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to approval by BioLife shareholders and regulatory authorities.

Cell therapies reach patients as living material. The cells must be processed, preserved, transported, and prepared for administration while remaining viable throughout this process.

BioLife sells media for freezing and preserving cells, along with tools for processing them. CryoStor is a solution used to freeze and store cell therapy products. The companies state that the CryoStor product line is used in 18 approved cell therapies and in most US sponsored trials of such products.

Repligen is acquiring a supplier of consumables used when cell therapy products are frozen, stored, and transported. Among the commercial therapies that use BioLife products, BioSpace lists Carvykti, Yescarta, and Breyanzi.

Repligen already supplies biopharmaceutical companies with filters, fluid management systems, chromatography equipment, and analytical instruments. Once the transaction closes, BioLife will add cell preservation products to this portfolio. Repligen expects newer therapeutic modalities, including cell therapies, to generate about one quarter of its revenue.

The $1.5 billion figure values BioLife's entire business, not CryoStor alone. Repligen also projects savings of $20 million in the first year after the transaction and $30 million in the second year. These savings depend on the transaction closing and the successful integration of the companies.