Repligen to Acquire Bothell’s BioLife Solutions in $1.5B Deal

Waltham, Massachusetts-based Repligen Corp., a life-sciences company focused on bioprocessing technology leadership, is planning to acquire Bothell-based BioLife Solutions Inc., a developer and supplier of cell-processing tools and services for the cell- and gene-therapy market.

The deal is valued at about $1.5 billion, according to a news release today.

The deal for BioLife, subject to regulatory approvals, is comprised of 64% in Repligen common stock and 36% in cash. BioLife stockholders will receive $11.25 per share in cash and 0.1442 shares of Repligen stock, equal to about $31 per share.

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter, subject to customary regulatory approvals, approval by BioLife stockholders, and the satisfaction of other closing conditions. The directors of each company unanimously approved the transaction.

“The acquisition of BioLife represents a natural next step in the evolution of our strategy and further strengthens our position as a leading provider of mission-critical technologies for biologics manufacturing,” Olivier Loeillot, president and CEO of Repligen, said in today’s release. “BioLife brings a highly differentiated portfolio of products including a market-leading biopreservation media platform and other cell processing tools. This opportunity will expand Repligen’s presence in the rapidly growing cell-therapy market, broaden our solutions offering to cell-therapy customers, and add a deeply embedded, high-margin consumables business with attractive recurring revenue. Just as important, we believe our shared culture of innovation and customer centricity will create a strong foundation for future growth and value creation.”

Roderick de Greef, chairman and CEO of BioLife, added in a statement, “Over the past several years, we have successfully repositioned BioLife around our market-leading biopreservation media franchise, while strengthening our financial profile and establishing a durable foundation for profitable growth. Repligen shares our commitment to providing innovative, differentiated, and enabling tools that help customers bring important therapies to patients. Its global commercial reach, complementary technologies, and proven operating capabilities make Repligen an ideal partner for BioLife. This transaction will expand the reach and impact of our portfolio, while providing BioLife stockholders with immediate cash value and the opportunity to participate in Repligen’s future growth.”

Today’s release noted that cell therapy represents a significant and growing portion of the global pharmaceutical pipeline, while commercial revenues are projected to grow at more than 20% annually through the end of the decade. BioLife’s products are deeply embedded in the cell-therapy workflow and highly complementary to Repligen’s existing offering in this market. BioLife’s differentiated biopreservation media portfolio, led by CryoStor, supports 18 commercially approved therapies and the majority of U.S. commercially sponsored cell-based-therapy trials. As a combined commercial team, BioLife will benefit from Repligen’s broader global reach, including Asia Pacific, while Repligen will benefit from BioLife’s trusted customer relationships, the companies said.

BioLife has about 157 employees, according to a June investor presentation. It has its headquarters and biopreservation media manufacturing in Bothell, and a media storage and thaw service facility in Woodinville. It also has facilities in Reno, Nevada; Indianapolis and Noblesville, Indiana; and Ottawa, Canada. It reported fiscal-year revenues of $96.2 million in the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, up 29% from the prior year.

Repligen reported 2025 total revenue of $738.3 million, up 16% from the prior year. A March investor presentation noted about 2,000 employees with a manufacturing footprint in the United States and Europe.

The life-science industry is a key part of the state’s economy, tallying $43.4 billion in total economic impact in 2024, according to a report in April from Life Science Washington, the state’s trade association for industry. The industry supported 117,000 jobs, including almost 49,000 directly.

Centerview Partners LLC is serving as financial adviser and K&L Gates LLP is serving as legal counsel to BioLife in the deal.