W.R. Grace & Co. has agreed to acquire the Fine Chemistry Services (FCS) business of its fellow US speciality chemicals company, Albemarle, in a deal that is expected to close in Q2, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. This will bring Grace sites at Tyrone, Pennsylvania, and South Haven, Michigan. FCS will fit within Pharma & Consumer, which Grace described as “the largest, fastest growing and most profitable sub-segment” in its Materials Technologies business.

UK-based CDMO Arcinova has been acquired by Quotient Sciences, a ‘drug development and manufacturing accelerator’ that is itself owned by private equity firm Permira. BGF, which had part-owned Arcinova since 2018, will withdraw from its minority stake. Terms were not disclosed.

Swiss-based CDMO Carbogen Amcis has announced two major expansion projects over the next four years at a cost of over €90 million. This follows six years of constant growth for the company, a subsidiary of the Dishman Group, and aims to address current market demand.

Two of the major global pharmaceutical CDMOs, Lonza and Alcami, have announced the appointments of new CEOs in early June. There have also been changes in senior positions at Corden Pharma and, imminently, at Cambrex.

Evonik, which is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical CDMOs, has announced the €25 million first stage of a long-term programme to expand API and advanced intermediates capacity at its sites in Dossenheim and Hanau, Germany. This should be completed by mid-2021 and the whole project should be finalised prior to 2024.