Shares of Bio-Techne rose 22% in premarket trading.
The offer price of $73 per share implies a 24% premium to Bio-Techne's close on Wednesday.
The acquisition would expand Merck's presence in life-science research. Bio-Techne supplies research reagents, proteins, antibodies, analytical instruments and other tools used by scientists and drug developers.
The German firm said it would fund the acquisition through a combination of existing cash and new debt.
<small>Source: CNBC</small>
