Biomere, a Worcester biomedical pre-clinical testing firm, has agreed to merge with a Chinese firm, the two companies announced Friday.
Biomere will become the North American offices for the Chinese company, JOINN Laboratories, which is based in Beijing and today has American offices in the Bay Area of California. JOINN cited Worcester’s proximity to Boston, which it called one of the world’s top life science hubs, and said Worcester will combine with the California operations to form an initiative for bicoastal operations in the United States.
The companies didn’t disclose financial details or say whether any employee counts would be affected in Worcester. The deal is expected to close this summer, they said, subject to standard closing requirements.
Biomere, which was spun out of UMass Medical School in 1996, specializes in metabolic and autoimmune diseases. The company, which is based downtown off Major Taylor Boulevard, will benefit from joining with JOINN through an accelerated growth strategy, CEO Mark Nedelman said.
JOINN, which is traded on the Shanghai stock exchange, specializes in pre-clinical and non-clinical services to pharmaceutical, medical device and other companies, as well as regulatory and other government agencies.
