BOTHELL, Wash., Feb. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BioLife Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLFS), the leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of proprietary clinical grade biopreservation media ("BioLife" or the "Company"), today announced that it has executed an OEM agreement to supply its CryoStor cell freeze media and HypoThermosol cell storage and shipping media under private label to MilliporeSigma, the life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Mike Rice, BioLife President & CEO, commented, "We are very pleased to formalize our long-term relationship with MilliporeSigma. Since 2009, the MilliporeSigma marketing and sales organizations have demonstrated a strong ability to drive adoption of our proprietary biopreservation media products in the biotech research market. In 2017 alone, MilliporeSigma distributed our products to over 600 different customers.  We look forward to continuing to support MilliporeSigma in our shared mission to drive a paradigm shift away from using home-brew biopreservation media to our engineered, pre-formulated GMP manufactured products."

About MilliporeSigma

The Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, which operates as MilliporeSigma in the U.S. and Canada, has 20,000 employees and 60 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 $17 billion acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich in November 2015, creating a leader in the $125 billion global life science industry.

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is a leading company for innovative and top-quality high-tech products in healthcare, life science and performance materials. The company has five businesses – Biopharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, Allergopharma, Life Science and Performance Materials – and generated sales of €15 billion in 2016. 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. The company holds the global rights to the name and the trademark "Merck" internationally except for the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

About BioLife Solutions

BioLife Solutions is the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of proprietary clinical grade cell and tissue hypothermic storage and cryopreservation freeze media for cells and tissues. Our proprietary HypoThermosol® and CryoStor® platform of biopreservation media products are highly valued in the regenerative medicine, biobanking and drug discovery markets. These are serum-free, protein-free, fully defined, and formulated to reduce preservation-induced cell damage and death. Our enabling, embeddable technologies provides commercial companies and clinical researchers significant improvement in shelf life and post-preservation viability and function of cells, tissues, and organs. 

For more information please visit www.biolifesolutions.com and follow BioLife on Twitter. 

Except for historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the company's anticipated business and operations, guidance for financial results in 2018, the potential utility of and market for its products and services, potential revenue growth and market expansion, regulatory approvals and/or commercial manufacturing of our customers' products, and potential customer revenue. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including among other things, uncertainty regarding market adoption of products; uncertainty regarding third-party market projections; market volatility; competition; litigation; and those other factors described in our risk factors set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein or to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof, other than as may be required by applicable law.

Media & Investor Relations
Roderick de Greef
Chief Financial Officer
(425) 686-6003
rdegreef@biolifesolutions.com

SOURCE BioLife Solutions, Inc.