Herbst Kinsky advised Themis Bioscience GmbH on its exit to the internationally renowned pharmaceutical group Merck Sharp & Dohme. Merck Sharp & Dohme is acquiring 100% of the shares in the Viennese biotech company. The purchase price remains undisclosed.

Themis is a leading company in the development of vaccines against immune diseases. Amongst other things, the company is currently working on a COVID-19 vaccine, the development of which shall be accelerated through the acquisition of Merck.

“To support a company since its foundation, to see it grow over many years and numerous financing rounds and to be part of this outstanding exit now fills us with great joy and confirms our commitment to the start-up and venture capital sector. Congratulations to the entire Themis team headed by Erich Tauber, that is setting a new benchmark in the Austrian start-up scene with this deal”, says Florian Steinhart, partner at Herbst Kinsky.

Herbst Kinsky’s team was led by Florian Steinhart (Corporate, Venture Capital). Other members of the transaction team were Sonja Hebenstreit (IP, Life Science), Felix Kernbichler (Corporate, Venture Capital) and Magdalena Wagner (Corporate, Venture Capital).  Themis’ international advisors were McDermott Will & Emery (Emmanuelle Trombe and David Lipkin). The majority shareholders of the company were represented by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (Robert Ishii and Miranda Biven) and Brandl Talos (Roman Rericha and Markus Arzt). Merck Sharp & Dohme was advised by Covington & Burling (Catherine J. Dargan and Michael J. Riella) and Wolf Theiss (Hartwig Kienast).