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December 14, 2018 6:45 am ET

Establishes Merck Animal Health as a Leader in Emerging Digital Tracking, Traceability and Monitoring Technology

Complements Merck Animal Health Portfolio of Vaccines and Pharmaceuticals

KENILWORTH, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Merck [NYSE:MRK], known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and
privately held Antelliq Group today announced that the companies have
signed a definitive agreement under which Merck will acquire Antelliq
from funds advised by BC Partners. Antelliq will be a wholly owned and
separately operated subsidiary within the Merck Animal Health Division.
Merck will make a cash payment of approximately 2.1 billion euros to
acquire all outstanding shares of Antelliq and will assume Antelliq’s
debt of 1.15 billion euros, which it intends to repay shortly after the
closing of the acquisition.

Antelliq is a leader in digital animal identification, traceability and
monitoring solutions, the fastest growing part of the animal health
industry, with 360 million euros in sales in the 12-month period ending
Sept. 30, 2018. These solutions help veterinarians, farmers and pet
owners gather critical data to improve management, health and well-being
of livestock and pets. The increasing use of digital technology in
animal agriculture is driven by the growing demand for protein, food
traceability and food safety. Identification and monitoring technologies
will help optimize disease prediction and treatment and this acquisition
will provide Merck Animal Health with a large, established customer base
in both areas.

“Merck Animal Health is a leader in the animal health business and has
delivered consistent above-market growth driven by a broad portfolio of
innovative pharmaceuticals, vaccines and other value-added technologies
and services. Antelliq’s people and products complement this portfolio
by adding market-leading digital products, extending the range of
solutions we can provide our customers and further driving the growth of
our business,” said Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and chief executive
officer, Merck. “This acquisition is well aligned with our strategy to
generate long-term growth and sustainable value for our customers and
shareholders.”

“Merck has a strong and growing animal health business, and we are
delighted that our superior offering of technology, products and
services, as well as our global relationships, together with Merck, will
bring additional value to our customers,” said Stefan Weiskopf, DVM,
chief executive officer, Antelliq. “With more than 60 years of
experience, we are constantly re-imagining animal care to improve the
quality of life for animals and for the people who care for them.”

With its extensive suite of digitally connected identification and
monitoring products, Antelliq is uniquely positioned to support the
needs of farmers and veterinarians. These products allow access to
real-time, actionable information to help improve livestock management
and health outcomes. In addition, Antelliq offers pet owners digitally
connected products to help them enhance their pets’ quality of life.

“The animal health industry is rapidly evolving with revolutionary
digital solutions to manage the health and well-being of livestock and
companion animals,” said Rick DeLuca, president, Merck Animal Health.
“Animal identification, animal monitoring and smart data management are
critical components of this transformative technology. This acquisition
represents yet another way that we will ensure our place as a leader in
animal health, with a substantial and sustainable position, including
the most innovative, technological solutions to serve our customers.
Through our commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, we
are dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and
performance of animals.”

Jean-Baptiste Wautier, chairman of Antelliq and partner at BC Partners
commented, “Antelliq is a unique business which played a pivotal role in
driving forward the convergence of the animal intelligence and animal
health industries globally. We are proud of the transformation of the
company that we initiated together with a fantastic leadership team over
the past five years and believe that Merck is an ideal partner for
Antelliq to support the next stage of its growth. As a truly innovative
market leader with a clear vision and dynamic team, Antelliq has
significant potential to continue leading the industry, as the use of
intelligence, data and technology play an increasingly important role in
animal health and care.”

The closing of the transaction is subject to clearance by antitrust and
competition law authorities and other customary closing conditions, and
is expected to close in the second quarter of 2019. Merck was
represented by Barclays and Centerview Partners and Antelliq was
represented by Goldman Sachs International and Rothschild & Co.

About Merck

For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical
company known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been
inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of
the world’s most challenging diseases. Through our prescription
medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we
work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver
innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to
increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs
and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of
research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that
threaten people and communities around the world – including cancer,
cardio-metabolic diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer’s disease
and infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information,
visit www.merck.com
and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,
YouTube
and LinkedIn.

About Antelliq

Antelliq is the world’s leading animal intelligence group, providing
world-class devices for animal identification, monitoring, and
traceability. Our pioneering monitoring solutions deliver smart data
products and services for the management and wellbeing of livestock,
fish and pets. For over 60 years we have been satisfying customer needs
in over 100 countries, supported by 22 production sites, spanning five
continents. Antelliq has four regional innovation centers and many
brands working collaboratively to address some of the world’s most
pressing challenges: supporting farmers with real-time actionable
information, providing a deeper connection with pets, and supporting
conservation. Across Antelliq, our different brands provide the
technology and intelligence that will be at the heart of overcoming
these challenges. The name Antelliq is the embodiment of everything we
stand for: intelligence connecting animals and people. For more
information, visit www.antelliq.com
.

Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA

This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the
“company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of
the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs
and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to
significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with
respect to pipeline products that the products will receive the
necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be
commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or
risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially
from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry
conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest
rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of
pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the
United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost
containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained
by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development,
including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to
accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties
or delays; financial instability of international economies and
sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents
and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to
litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results
to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking
statements can be found in the company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K
and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site (www.sec.gov).

Merck Media:
Noreen Verbrugge
+ 1-973-937-5450
Noreen.Verbrugge@merck.com

Pam Eisele
+1-267-305-3558
Pamela.Eisele@merck.com

Antelliq Media
Piers Hampson
+ 44 (0) 1954 266 001
p.hampson@surepetcare.com

Prosek Partners (BC/Antelliq)
+44 (0)20 3878 8560
Pro-bcpartners@prosek.com

Merck Investors:
Michael DeCarbo
+ 1-908-740-1807
Michael.decarbo@merck.com

Teri Loxam
+ 1-908-740-1986
teri.loxam@merck.com