BASF is to sell its kaolin minerals business, which is part of the Performance Chemicals division and is regarded as non-core, to Georgia-based minerals company KaMin. This is expected to close in 2H 2022, subject to approval by the relevant merger control authorities. The business employs about 440 people and had sales of around €155 million in 2020.
Together with Jinan Shengquan Group, Biosynth Carbosynth is to buy Kexing Biopharmaceutical’s raw material factory in Jinan, China. The facility covers over 30,000 m2 over five floors, with a demo workshop and a large warehouse including advanced storage of dangerous material.
Robert Smith of Pricefx looks at how a sector that is not traditionally price-driven can cope in a world of price volatility
CDMO Hovione used CPhI Worldwide 2021 in Milan to announce plans to invest $170 million over the years 2020-2022 to expand both capacities and capabilities at three sites in Portugal, Ireland, and New Jersey. About 300 jobs will be created as a result. These reflect its increasing focus on spray drying, high potency and particle engineering.
Following a detailed review, Johnson Matthey has concluded that the potential returns from its Battery Materials business “will not be adequate to justify further investment”. It will therefore seek to sell all or parts of the business.
Although demand has been growing strongly, the company said, “so is competition from alternative technologies and other manufacturers” and the market is becoming commoditised. JM had explored partnerships in the field but found that “our capital intensity is too high compared with other more established large-scale, low-cost producers”.
Flamma USA, the North American arm of the Italian CDMO, has completed the re-commissioning of the HPAPI suite at its site at Malvern, Pennsylvania, following an “exhaustive qualification” over the past six months. This is meant to be a viable alternative for customers early stage HPAPIs when lead times are long for others.
At CPhI Worldwide 2021 in Milan on 9-11 November, Italian CDMO Olon announced “a significant expansion of its pipeline of APIs, a result of its R&D investment strategy”. In all, it has added nine new active substances for the generics market by investing across several lines and at multiple facilities in its network.
