MilliporeSigma Relaunches Customer Collaboration Centers With New Concept And M Lab Name

• State-of-the-art laboratories for full end-to-end process development support and training
• Enables explorations of new technologies and solutions to address development and manufacturing challenges
• Dynamic settings in major pharmaceutical and biotechnology hubs promote customer collaboration from pre-clinical through full-scale production

MilliporeSigma recently is relaunching its global network of customer collaboration centers, providing customers a shared, exploratory environment with scientists and engineers working to solve their toughest biomanufacturing challenges, helping accelerate development of new therapies.

Formerly known as biomanufacturing science training centers, the new state-of-the art M Lab concept will include a simulated manufacturing environment that provides customers a setting that fosters education and full end-to-end process development support. The centers are created especially for customer collaboration in which problem solving for processing issues takes place. Customers participate in product demonstrations, hands-on training and experiments, as well as apply best practices and new approaches to develop, optimize and scale-up processes and simplify global technology transfer.

"We are the only company that offers full end-to-end process training, and we do it side-by-side with our customers, working together to solve critical challenges," said Udit Batra, Member, Executive Board, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and CEO, MilliporeSigma.

Now reimagined and reengineered as M Lab Collaboration Centers, MilliporesSigma has taken its industry-leading concept to the next level by creating unique and inspiring settings where customers can explore new ways to increase productivity and improve processes in close collaboration with MilliporeSigma's team of experts.

"These centers have been an important resource for our customers and the biopharma industry for more than two decades and will continue to be important as we grow," Batra added.

MilliporeSigma unveiled its first remodeled center in Tokyo, Japan on June 29, 2016. The network, established in 1995, will also include locations in Brazil, China, France, India, Singapore, South Korea and the United States. Formal relaunch of these centers will take place throughout the remainder of 2016 and 2017 with openings of the new M Lab concept in France, India, China, South Korea and the United States.

Each M Lab Collaboration Center will welcome customers, collaborators from government, academia, regulatory bodies and industry associations, offering application best practices and knowledge sharing tailored to address the specific needs of the local biomanufacturing industry. Customers will have access to sizing and simulation tools and methodologies as well as analytical and modeling support. Hands-on and classroom-style training sessions and education programs are also provided.

For more information about the M Lab Collaboration Centers and view videos of MilliporeSigma's facilities, visit www.emdmillipore.com/mlab.

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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 $17B acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich in November 2015, creating a leader in the $125B 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 € 12.85B 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. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma ank9d EMD Performance Materials.