Wolf Theiss advises MSD on the acquisition of the Austrian biotech company Themis Bioscience

MSD, through a subsidiary, will acquire 100% of the Austrian biotech company in exchange for an undisclosed cash payment. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory clearances. The parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.

Themis was founded in 2009 and is developing a pipeline of vaccine candidates and immune-modulatory therapies on the basis of an innovative measles virus vector platform. Themis is currently researching a vaccine candidate targeting SARS-CoV-2 for the prevention of COVID-19.

MSD is a global leader in infectious diseases and vaccines, with a long history of researching, developing, manufacturing and distributing vaccines. The acquisition builds upon an ongoing collaboration between the two companies and is expected to accelerate the development of Themis’ COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

The Wolf Theiss team was led by M&A partner Hartwig Kienast, supported by Wolf Theiss specialists in various fields of law: Lukas Slameczka, Michael Kienzl, Clemens Pretscher (all Corporate), Kurt Retter and Dominik Engel (Regulatory), Georg Kresbach and Adolf Zemann (IP / IT), Ralf Peschek and Lisa Babler (Employment), Paulina Pomorski (IP / IT), Karl Binder and Michael Meindl (Real Estate) and Jochen Anweiler (Competition).

“This transaction was characterized by a particular intensity due to the current situation with COVID-19 and the research on a vaccine candidate by the target company,” said Hartwig Kienast. “It also is another landmark transaction for our fast growing regional Healthcare M&A group.”