RAHWAY, N.J. - Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) announced today that its animal health division has signed a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, a privately held company that develops biodevice solutions for the poultry industry, according to a press release statement.
The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Merck Animal Health has been an investor in TARGAN since 2017 and holds a position as one of the company’s largest shareholders.
The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.The deal comes as Merck trades near its 52-week high with a market capitalization of $294 billion, reflecting strong investor confidence. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock appears undervalued relative to its Fair Value, positioning it among companies on the platform’s Most Undervalued list. Investors seeking deeper insights can access exclusive Pro Research Reports covering Merck and 1,400+ other US equities, along with over a dozen additional InvestingPro Tips for comprehensive investment analysis.
TARGAN, founded in 2015 and based in Raleigh, North Carolina, has developed WingScan, an automated system that uses vision technology to identify and sort chicks by gender at speeds of up to 160,000 chicks per hour. The technology captures high-resolution images of chick feathers and analyzes them using proprietary algorithms.
The company also offers high-speed precision ocular spray technology for administering respiratory and coccidiosis vaccines to day-old chicks.
Rick DeLuca, president of Merck Animal Health, said the acquisition "complements and accelerates our growing biopharmaceutical presence in poultry and increases our ability to deliver significant customer value globally."
TARGAN CEO Ramin Karimpour stated that Merck Animal Health "has been a foundational partner of TARGAN since our inception" and that the acquisition will provide access to resources and infrastructure for deploying the company’s biodevice technology alongside Merck’s poultry vaccine portfolio.
Merck Animal Health is a division of Merck & Co., Inc., based in Rahway, New Jersey.
In other recent news, Merck & Co. has received orphan drug designation from the FDA for pembrolizumab, known as Keytruda, as a treatment for neuroendocrine prostate cancer. This designation provides incentives for developing treatments for rare diseases. Additionally, the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to Merck’s calderasib in combination with Keytruda for certain advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients, based on promising data from the Phase 1 KANDLELIT-001 trial. In financial updates, Merck has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share for the third quarter of 2026, payable on July 8.
On the analyst front, Cantor Fitzgerald has reiterated a Neutral rating with a $120 price target for Merck, noting advancements in the company’s TROP2 antibody-drug conjugate. Meanwhile, Guggenheim continues to support a Buy rating with a $140 price target, emphasizing Merck’s oncology pipeline and development strategies. These recent developments reflect Merck’s ongoing efforts in expanding its treatment options and maintaining investor interest.
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