French biotech, Samabriva, has unveiled a significant expansion with a new 1,400-square-meter biomanufacturing facility located in Liege, Belgium, to aid the transition from research and development to industrial-scale production. The state-of-the-art facility is equipped with proprietary bioreactors specifically designed for hairy root culture, enabling the production of natural molecules for pharmaceutical applications.

India-based CDMO, OneSource Specialty Pharma, is expanding its capacity to manufacture GLP-1 drug-device combinations, driven by growing global demand for diabetes and obesity treatments. The company, which specializes in drug-device combinations, including cartridge filling, assembly, and fill-finish, recently raised funding through equity issuance to fund this expansion.

Florida biotech, Dyadic International, has secured a USD 3 mn grant from the Gates Foundation to develop affordable monoclonal antibodies for RSV and malaria, using its C1 protein production platform to address the limited access to mAb treatments in low- and middle-income countries.

Roche Holdings, Inc. has agreed to acquire Poseida Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in allogeneic cell therapies and genetic medicines, integrating the company into Roche's Pharmaceuticals Division, and enhancing their capabilities in allogeneic cell therapy.

The acquisition brings Poseida's innovative pipeline which includes a proprietary non-viral technology platform, which enables the development of allogeneic, T stem cell memory (T SCM)-rich CAR-T therapies, which include hematologic malignancies, solid tumors, and autoimmune diseases.

Pharmaceutical CDMO, Hovione, has unveiled a multi-million expansion of its manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland, which will double the company’s existing spray drying capacity, and reinforce its position as a global leader in spray drying technology for pharmaceutical applications, such as inhalable therapies and oral medications.

Biotech startup, Metsera, has secured USD 215 mn in a Series B funding round which the company will use to continue developing its portfolio of obesity treatments, including long-acting GLP-1 drug, MET-097i, injectable amylin analog, MET-233i, and oral GLP-1 peptide, MET-002, with plans to explore combination therapies.

AstraZeneca has announced a USD 3.5 bn investment to enhance its biopharmaceutical research and manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. by 2026, creating over 1,000 high-skilled jobs whilst targeting growth within the U.S. biopharmaceutical sector.

Eurofins CDMO Alphora Inc. has announced plans to construct a state-of-the-art GMP biologics facility in Mississauga, Ontario. Scheduled for completion in April 2026, the 50,000-square-foot facility will be part of a new 112,000-square-foot building on Eurofins CDMO Alphora's 14-acre campus within the Sheridan Research Park.

SEKISUI Diagnostics' microbial CDMO business - BioProduction by SEKISUI - has announced it has completed its USD 20.7 mn cGMP capacity expansion for clinical-grade drug substance manufacturing at its site in Kent, UK. Upon license approval, the company will be able to expand manufacturing capabilities for common drug types, with microbial fermentation and purification suites that will accommodate production scales up to 1,000L.

Swiss CDMO, Lonza, has announced its plans to expand its bioconjugation capabilities in Visp, Switzerland, by adding two multipurpose 1,200-liter manufacturing suites and supporting infrastructure, which are expected to be operational by 2028 and will create approximately 200 new jobs.

SCHOTT Pharma has launched a state-of-the-art production facility in Lukácsháza, Hungary, focused on high-quality pre-fillable glass syringes. Supported by a USD 9.7 mn local government investment, the facility strengthens SCHOTT’s European competitiveness and global supply security for pharmaceutical companies, amongst the rising demand for prefillable syringes used in GLP-1 drugs, vaccines, and biologics.

Following an all-time high price, Indian drug discovery company, Piramal Pharma, has announced plans to allocate approximately $85 mn for the current fiscal year to expand capacity and address maintenance and de-bottlenecking at its CDMO sites.

Chairperson Nandini Piramal stated that around $30 mn has already been invested in the first half of the fiscal year, with plans to expand its sterile injectables facility in Lexington, Kentucky, by FY27 as the company aims to surpass $2 bn in revenue by FY30.

Radiopharmaceutical CDMO, NorthStar Medical, has inaugurated a 52,000-square-foot Radiopharmaceutical CDMO facility in Beloit, Wisconsin, to become the only U.S.-based company housing commercial scale radioisotope production and CDMO services at the same facility.

The new facility will develop and manufacture key medical radioisotopes - including Ac-225, Lu-177, Cu-64, Cu-67, and In-111 - as the company plans to support biopharmaceutical companies in advancing diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, particularly for cancer treatment.

MilliporeSigma, the life sciences division of Merck KGaA in the U.S. and Canada, is investing $76 mn to expand its ADC production facility in St. Louis, which will triple the site's current capacity, improve process and analytical development labs, and include new manufacturing spaces, labs, and cold storage, creating 170 new jobs in the process.

The announcement follows a similar investment in 2022, where the company invested $65 mn at its Verona, Wisconsin facility, as it looks to expand production capabilities to meet the ever-growing demand for its services.

Leading CDMO for biopharmaceuticals, Rentschler Biopharma SE, has announced plans to commence construction of a new buffer media station at its headquarters in Laupheim, Germany, from next year.

The facility, spanning 3,400 square meters and expected to be operational by 2028, will enhance production efficiency and modernize the site to meet evolving client and patient needs. The four-story building will house advanced equipment, including media and buffer tanks, ensuring high standards of hygiene, safety, and automation, whilst also supporting Rentschler's sustainability goals and improving employee ergonomics.

Bora Pharmaceuticals has announced its acquisition of U.S.-based Pyros Pharmaceuticals.

Founded in 2017, Pyros recently launched VIGAFYDE™ (vigabatrin), the first and only ready-to-use oral solution for infantile spasms, a rare and severe form of epilepsy in young children. Approved by the FDA in June 2024, VIGAFYDE simplifies dosing and provides much-needed treatment for pediatric patients.

Bora's CEO, Bobby Sheng, highlighted the synergies between Pyros' innovative research and Upsher-Smith’s expertise in pediatric CNS conditions, foreseeing enhanced patient outcomes through this powerful alliance. Pyros co-founder and CEO, Michael Smith, expressed excitement about the partnership, emphasizing the shared mission of improving care for rare disease patients. The acquisition follows Bora’s recent purchases of Upsher-Smith Laboratories and TWi Pharmaceuticals, reinforcing its rapid global growth in the CDMO and commercial prescription sectors.

U.S.-based CDMO, Afton Scientific, is planning a $200 mn expansion of its sterile injection manufacturing facility in Charlottesville, Virginia, that will significantly increase the company’s production capacity for sterile injectables, whilst adding 200 new jobs. As part of the expansion, the company will be able to offer “newer manufacturing technologies,” although a projected completion date is yet to be determined.

Canadian CDMO, OmniaBio, has opened a new commercial manufacturing facility in Hamilton, Ontario, making it Canada's largest dedicated cell and gene therapy site. The commercially-ready facility will utilize AI and automation to deliver comprehensive services from process, analytical and associated AI development, through to commercial manufacturing for their global clients.

The company said the facility will be crucial in helping biotech's to deliver life-saving treatments, with its first client being MEDIPOST’s stem cell therapy, CARTISTEM®, used for treating knee cartilage defects.

Catalent has completed a series of upgrades to its large-scale spray drying unit (GEA PSD-4) at its Boston, Massachusetts, facility. By adding capacity and multi-solvent capabilities, Catalent can now provide enhanced spray-drying services at the site for amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) formulations across late-stage to commercialization projects.

Lorenzo Carletti, president of clinical development and supply at Catalent, noted the importance of ASDs in overcoming the aqueous solubility issues that plague the oral development pipeline, suggesting that between 75-80% of molecules in pre-clinical and clinical development are affected, and require bioavailability enhancing technologies. He added that by adding to the company’s spray drying capabilities, “Catalent becomes the CDMO with the widest commercial-scale bioavailability enhancing technologies.”

BioDuro-Sundia, the U.S. headquartered contract research, development and manufacturing organization (CRDMO), has opened a new kilo laboratory at its R&D campus, located in the Free-Trade Zone of Shanghai, China. Kilo labs provide pilot-scale production and enable scale-up synthesis for drug substance. The company said the investment will further enhance its ability to accelerate more drug candidates from discovery through to preclinical and clinical phases to meet the growing demands of its global partners.

The opening follows closely behind that of a new compound management center at the same site, which enabled the site to store and handle clients’ compounds at the drug discovery phase.