Noramco, an API supplier specialised in controlled substances, has launched Noramco Group, which it describes as a “comprehensive North American-based supply chain solution” for clinical and commercial APIs and drug products. Noramco Group unites the capabilities of three subsidiaries:

* Delaware-based Noramco itself, which supplies APIs for both branded and generic drugs that are used in over 350 products

* Purisys, a Georgia-based supplier of CDMO services and pharmaceutical reference standards, with specialised capabilities in controlled substance APIs

CordenPharma has announced the commissioning of new GMP capacities at its Frankfurt site to manufacture early clinical phase peptide APIs. The investment is still being finalised, but will be fully operational in Q2 and authorised by German authorities in 2H.

The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) is to install a 300-litre fermenter at FlexBio, its scale-up facility at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. This was funded by a £847,000 from the devolved Scottish government.

During its 2023 results presentation, Evonik announced that it will establish a new organisational structure by the end of 2026. Under ‘Evonik Tailor Made’ it will eliminate administrative activities that do not directly support its businesses and bundle key tasks in the new structure.

During its full-year results presentation, CDMO and API supplier EuroAPI announced the launch of Focus-2027, a comprehensive project that will seek to unlock profitable growth and increase returns. Key means of achieving include:

* Streamlining the value-added API portfolio by discontinuing 13 with low or negative margins and focusing on highly differentiated, profitable products, such as vitamin B12, prostaglandins, peptides and oligonucleotides

* Having a focused CDMO offer “leveraging our recognised capabilities and technology platforms” *

The board of Chemours has put CEO Mark Newman, CFO Jonathan Lock and principal accounting officer Camela Wisel on administrative leave pending the completion of an internal review by independent counsel that the board’s audit committee is overseeing.

In its annual results presentation, BASF announced plans to reduce costs at its main verbund site in Ludwigshafen by a further €1 billion/year by the end of 2026. This comes on top of a similar scale of cuts initiated in late 2022.

Last year, results in Germany suffered due to substantially negative earnings at Ludwigshafen, the company said. This was attributed to two main causes: the temporary low-demand environment is affecting volume development both upstream and downstream, while structurally high energy prices are raising production costs upstream.