MaxCyte, a Rockville, Maryland-based cell engineering technology company, has agreed to acquire Akron BioProducts (Akron Bio), a Boca Raton, Florida-based supplier of GMP-grade reagents and ancillary materials for cell therapy manufacturing, for $151.8 million. The transaction is expected to close before the end of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Akron Bio supplies materials used at multiple stages of cell therapy manufacturing, including cytokines, growth factors, human plasma-derived products, and cell culture media. Its products are used before and after cell engineering, including during cell expansion and cryopreservation. The company also supplies closed-system solutions for cell therapy production.

The acquisition will extend MaxCyte’s presence beyond its historical focus on nonviral cell engineering into additional stages of the cell therapy manufacturing workflow, including applications involving viral and nonviral approaches. According to the announcement, the combined portfolio supports five commercially approved therapies and more than 100 clinical programs.

Both companies have drug master files (DMFs) referenced in customer regulatory submissions, including investigational new drug applications (INDs) and biologics license applications (BLAs). Their products are incorporated into customers’ validated manufacturing processes.

The acquisition follows MaxCyte’s June 2026 collaboration with VectorBuilder, a Chicago-based gene delivery technology company and contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). The partnership combines VectorBuilder’s gene delivery technology with MaxCyte’s electroporation platform to develop a gene delivery solution for clinical-grade cell engineering applications, including CAR-T, CAR-NK, and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based therapies.

Akron Bio is expected to continue operating under its existing brand, with its leadership team and employees joining the combined organization.