Merck and Insilico Make Deals, Claude Science’s Debut, Vaccines for Neglected Diseases

More big biotech deals on the docket this week. First, Merck KGaA is buying Bio-Techne for $11.3 billion to expand its presence in high-growth life science markets. We dive into the details of this deal and then turn our attention to a $2.5 million collaboration to use artificial intelligence to find drug candidates for neuroimmune disorders. That deal involves Insilico Medicine and SK Biopharmaceuticals. Still on the theme of AI, we discuss Anthropic’s Claude Science, the latest entrant to the growing ecosystem of tech platforms specialized for biology, and a set of models for antibiotic design and vaccine target prediction. Lastly, we dig into two recent publications that discuss vaccines for Nipah virus and one of its relatives, and for treating schistosomiasis.Join GEN editors Corinna Singleman, PhD, Alex Philippidis, Fay Lin, PhD, and Uduak Thomas for a discussion of the latest biotech and biopharma news.   Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base:  Merck KGaA to Acquire Bio-Techne for $11.3B, Expanding Life Science Tools Presence By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, June 25, 2026Insilico, SK Launch Up-to-$2.5B Neuroimmune AI Drug CollaborationBy Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, June 28, 2026Claude Science Is Here, Antibiotics Designed by Text Prompt Among Applications By Fay Lin, PhD, GEN Edge, June 30, 2026Schistosomiasis Vaccine Shows Strong Immune Memory in Early Clinical TrialsGEN, June 29, 2026 Nipah and Hendra Viruses: Antibody Cocktail Provides Complete Protection in Hamster ModelGEN, June 26, 2026Touching Base Podcast Hosted by Corinna Singleman, PhD  Behind the Breakthroughs Hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.