German CDMO Adragos Pharma has acquired Swiss manufacturer Baccinex, marking the addition of its sixth global manufacturing site and strengthening its position in sterile manufacturing. The facility, based in Courroux, Switzerland, specializes in fill-finish services for clinical trials and small-to-medium-scale commercial production. It will continue to operate under the leadership of founder and CEO Ursula Bausch.

South Korean pharma, Boryung Corp., has announced a partnership with Taiwanese CDMO Lotus Pharmaceutical, for services focused on cytotoxic drugs and will take on the role of manufacturing an anticancer injection for Lotus.

Munich-headquartered pharmaceutical CDMO, Adragos Pharma, has expanded its global footprint by acquiring Swiss aseptic fill-finish manufacturing company, Baccinex, as it targets expanding its capabilities in sterile production through the acquisition of its sixth worldwide manufacturing site.

GSK has entered a partnership with Vesalius Therapeutics to develop treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and another unspecified neurodegenerative condition. Utilizing its proprietary platform, Vesalius will lead the drug discovery efforts, while GSK will have development and commercialization rights to the preclinical small molecule targeting Parkinson's, along with options to advance other programs.

BioNTech has announced plans to acquire clinical-stage biotechnology company, Biotheus, as the company looks to enhance its oncology strategy. This acquisition will grant BioNTech full global rights to BNT327/PM8002 - and investigational bispecific antibody targeting PD-L1 and VEGF-A - which has shown encouraging clinical activity in various tumor types.

UK-based, gene-to-GMP company, Ascend Advanced Therapies, has announced a partnership with EW Healthcare Partners as it targets enhanced U.S. operations and infrastructure. As part of the collaboration, Advanced BioScience Laboratories (ABL), a CDMO based in Rockville, Maryland, and a portfolio company of EW Healthcare Partners, will be integrated into Ascend and combining over three decades of development and manufacturing experience, whilst also expanding Ascend's GMP capacity for adeno-associated virus (AAV) production and fill/finish services.

Biologics CDMO, Avid Bioservices, Inc., has announced its acquisition by GHO Capital Partners LLP and Ampersand Capital Partners in an all-cash transaction totalling approximately USD 1.1 bn.

Nick Green, president and CEO of Avid, emphasized the benefits of partnering with experienced investors who bring expertise, networks, and capital to strengthen Avid’s foundation, with the new owners aiming to unlock Avid’s potential through expanded offerings, talent investment, and geographic reach, building on recent capacity upgrades and its exemplary team for sustained growth.

Otsuka Pharmaceutical and ICU Medical have entered a strategic partnership to strengthen the supply of intravenous (IV) solutions in North America. This collaboration aims to address existing shortages and improve the reliability of IV solution availability for healthcare providers. By combining Otsuka's pharmaceutical expertise with ICU Medical's manufacturing capabilities, the partnership seeks to enhance production efficiency and ensure a consistent supply of essential IV products across the region.

UK pharmaceutical company, Accord Healthcare, has secured a USD 63 mn joint investment with the UK government to enhance its Fawdon facility in Newcastle upon Tyne. The funding will introduce new production lines for a novel cancer drug and two autoimmune injectables, creating over 50 skilled jobs and ensuring the plant's long-term viability.

Korean biopharmaceutical company, Celltrion, has secured a $72.8 mn contract with TEVA Pharmaceuticals International for the development and manufacturing of the migraine treatment Ajovy.

The contract – which only runs until July 30, 2025 - represents 4.6% of Celltrion’s 2023 revenue but plans to establish a fully owned CDMO subsidiary by the end of 2024, with facility expansion set for next year.

Samsung has locked down a $1.2 bn contract with an unnamed Asia-based pharmaceutical company that’s expected to run through December 2037.

The manufacturing project, which will be carried out at Samsung’s biomanufacturing site in the Songdo area of Incheon, South Korea, brings the company’s total new contract value for the year to more than $3.3 bn.

In addition, the company is on track to complete its fifth production plant in Korea by the end of 2024 - a dedicated ADC facility in Incheon - which will add 180 kL to its existing 784 kL capacity and expected to go online in April 2025.

Radiopharmaceutical CDMO, SpectronRx, and Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, have announced advanced plans to establish a European radiopharmaceutical CDMO (rCDMO) facility, on the Belgian Nuclear Research Center premises in Mol, Belgium.

The collaboration will see both companies working together to meet the rising demand for radioisotopes, particularly Actinium-225, which plays a crucial role in targeted radiotherapies for cancer treatment. The facility will offer end-to-end solutions, from isotope production to radiopharmaceutical development and manufacturing, and strengthen Europe's position in the radiotherapy market.

Pharma multinational, Sanofi, and pioneers in targeted alpha therapies in oncology, Orano Med, have entered a partnership to develop next-generation radioligand therapies (RLTs) using lead-212 alpha-emitting isotopes, which follows a recent announcement between Orano Med, RadioMedia and Sanofi to advance RLTs in rare cancers, focusing on one late-stage project, AlphaMedix™.

Targeted alpha therapy relies on combining the ability of biological vectors to target cancer cells with the short-range and highly energetic cell-killing capabilities of alpha-emitting radioisotopes. The vector directs the radioisotope to the target cancer cells expressing the specific marker. This unique mechanism of action aims to damage or destroy target cancer cells, while limiting impact on nearby healthy cells.

Chinese clinical-stage biotech company, LaNova Medicines, has raised $42 mn in a Series C1 funding round as it pursues innovations focusing on tumor microenvironment and developing innovative drugs for tumor specificity targeted ADCs and immunoregulatory large molecules.

The company plans to use the funding to speed up clinical progress of its products at clinical phase - including LM-302 and LM-108 - and develop an antibody platform, next-generation ADC technology platform, and dual-antibody technology platform.

Following promising preclinical results, the company has initiated its first-in-human clinical trial for LM-299, an anti-PD-1/VEGF BsAb targeting advanced solid tumors.

TuHURA Biosciences, a phase 3 immuno-oncology firm, has merged with Kintara Therapeutics, a developer of novel cancer therapies. The newly combined entity - continuing to trade as TuHURA Biosciences - will focus on advancing innovative cancer therapies, including their immune response agonist IFx-2.0 and tumor microenvironment modulators as the company seeks to overcome resistance to current immunotherapies.

Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical - OnKure Therapeutics - has finalized its merger with Reneo Pharmaceuticals and raised $65 mn through a private investment as the company looks to accelerate the development of their mutant-specific PI3Kα inhibitor portfolio.

AstraZeneca has signed an exclusive license agreement with CSPC Pharmaceutical Group for a preclinical small molecule called YS2302018. The molecule, an oral Lp(a) disruptor, will be developed as a lipid-lowering therapy alone or in combination with AstraZeneca’s oral PCSK9 inhibitor, AZD0780, as the company targets dyslipidaemia - a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease and stroke.

Biotech startup Judo Bio has secured $100 mn in funding to pioneer oligonucleotide medicines delivered to the kidney using a novel approach to create medicines. Preclinical studies successfully demonstrated the receptor-mediated delivery of oligonucleotides with proprietary ligand-siRNA conjugates that silence multiple target genes. The financing will be used to advance the lead ligand-siRNA conjugate to the clinic and to further build the company’s proprietary STRIKE (Selectively Targeting RNA Into KidnEy) platform. Rajiv Patni, a seasoned pharmaceutical leader including roles at Pfizer, Roche, and Actelion, has been appointed as CEO to steer the company's growth.

South Korean vaccine developer, SK bioscience, has completed the acquisition of German CDMO IDT Biologika as the company looks to double its sales by 2028 by investing in high-growth businesses that include late-stage cell and gene therapy (CGT) and recombinant vaccines.

As part of the ambition, the company is expected to launch next-generation pneumococcal vaccines, maximize the utilization rate of IDT Biologika’s drug substance and drug product manufacturing facilities, and add additional cell line manufacturing and recombinant vaccine development technologies to pursue new CDMO contracts for mid- to large-scale products.

Sanner Group has acquired Gilero LLC to strengthen its global medical device offerings. This acquisition enhances Sanner’s capabilities across drug delivery, diagnostics, and medtech device sectors, expanding its footprint in the US, Mexico, and Ireland. Gilero’s expertise in design, development, and contract manufacturing complements Sanner’s strategic growth plan to become a leading provider of end-to-end solutions in the medical technology field.