Hogan Lovells advises Sartorius Group on a cooperation and minority shareholding in TheWell Bioscience Inc.

Press releases | 19 April 2024

Led by Frankfurt partner Dr Christoph Naumann, Philadelphia senior associate Spenser Karr, and Silicon Valley associate Will Christ, global law firm Hogan Lovells has advised the German life science group Sartorius on a cooperation with U.S.-based startup TheWell Bioscience Inc. and a minority shareholding through its affiliate Sartorius North America.

TheWell Bioscience Inc. develops, markets and sells VitroGel, a biofunctional animal-free synthetic hydrogel for three dimensional cell cultures. VitroGel is used to grow cell lines and patient-derived cells for a variety of research purposes, including advance drug discovery, tissue engineering, cell therapy, and personalized medicine. VitroGel can also be used as an injectable delivery system for cell therapy. VitroGel provides for greater consistency and ease of use as compared to existing hydrogel cultures and its delivery system can achieve better cell retention and higher cell viability compared with existing systems.

TheWell Bioscience is a pioneer in the field of animal-free hydrogels and bioinks, critical components for the creation of 3D biomimicking platforms, also known as 3D cell models, for precision medicine, cell therapy and biomanufacturing. These models are complex biological structures that mimic the organization and function of cells in living organisms, enabling a more accurate prediction of the efficacy, toxicity, and side effects of drugs in humans. As they address the shift from animal-based to more human-relevant organoid models, 3D cell models are a key strategic growth area for Sartorius.

Hogan Lovells advised the Sartorius Group with an international, cross-practice team on all issues in connection with the co-operation and investment agreement.

Hogan Lovells team for Sartorius Group

Dr Christoph Naumann (Partner, Mergers & Acquisitions, Frankfurt);

Spenser Karr (Senior Associate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Philadelphia);

Sydnie Pennington (Associate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Denver);

Will Christ (Associate, Mergers & Acquisitions and Venture Capital, Silicon Valley);

Dr Falk Schöning (Partner, Antitrust, Competition and Economic Regulation, Brussels);

Lauren Battaglia (Partner, Antitrust, Competition and Economic Regulation), Brian Curran (Partner, International Trade and Investment), Patrick Miller (Senior Associate, International Trade and Investment), Morgan Perna (Senior Associate, Privacy and Cybersecurity) (all Washington).

Sartorius legal inhouse team

Jens Michael Artelt (Head of Legal Affairs & Compliance), Katrin Sebastian (Head of M&A & Corporate Compliance), Heiner Wedeken (Specialist M&A & Corporate Compliance), Adrian Kuklinski (Specialist M&A and Corporate Compliance)