Following on from earlier acquisitions and investments on both sides of the Atlantic, Sterling Pharma Solutions has commenced a $2.1 million expansion project to increase chemical and analytical capabilities at its facility in Cary, North Carolina. The work should be completed by the end of 2022 and will create up to 20 new jobs. This will include five new laboratories: two for R&D, one for scaling up chemical synthesis and others for QC and analytical services.

Catalent has completed a $10 million expansion in large-scale isolator units at its sites in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and Dartford, UK. These provide advanced containment capabilities for the micronisation of highly potent drug compounds.

According to the German business newspaper Handelsblatt, the International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG) intends to sell CordenPharma. A valuation of around €3 billion has been cited. ICIG has, the paper said, has already had meetings with potential buyers and will send out information packs to them by the end January. Neither ICIG nor CordenPharma has made any comment.

India-based CDMO Piramal Pharma has taken a 27.78% equity stake in Yapan Bio of Hyderabad, which provides process development, scale-up and cGMP manufacturing of vaccines and biologics/bio-therapeutics of all kinds, including recombinant and RNA/DNA vaccines, gene therapies and monoclonal antibodies.

Johnson Matthey (JM) has agreed to sell the majority of its Health business to Altaris Capital Partners, an investment firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry, for £325 million enterprise value, or 9.8 x EBITDA in the 12 months to 30 September 2021. Completion is anticipated in mid-2022, subject to regulatory approvals.

CDMO CordenPharma has acquired the finished drug product manufacturing business of Vifor Pharma Group, which is refocusing its manufacturing on nephrology and iron deficiency. This comprises sites at Fribourg and Ettingen in Switzerland, and Lisbon, Portugal. Terms were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close in Q1 2022.

CDMO Seqens has confirmed that its planned change of ownership has been completed, with SK Capital, a private investment firm focused on the specialty materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors, becoming the majority shareholder.