Thermo Fisher Scientific has agreed to acquire Solventum's purification & filtration business for USD 4.1 bn in cash. The purification & filtration unit - which generated around USD 1 bn in revenue in 2024 - specializes in purification filters and membranes used in biopharma, medical technology, microelectronics, food and beverage production, and water filtration.

hVIVO plc., a CRO specializing in human challenge trials, announced it has signed a USD 2.5 mn contract to advance a new biopharmaceutical client’s research in human metapneumovirus (hMPV). Should the current phase of research be deemed a success, and subject to regulatory approval, the final phase of the study is expected to commence in the second half of 2025.

Novartis announced an agreement to acquire Anthos, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is developing abelacimab, a promising anticoagulant for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation patients. Novartis will make an upfront payment of USD 925 million with potential additional payments of up to USD 2.15 billion upon achievement of specified regulatory and sales milestones.

German biopharma, Eleva, and global CDMO, 3PBIOVIAN, have announced a strategic partnership to secure production capacity at 3PBIOVIAN for the clinical-grade material needed to advance its current pipeline programs (Factor H (CPV-104) for C3G and dry AMD) into mid- to late-stage clinical development.

South Korean biopharma, Inventage Lab, is investing USD 17 mn in South Korean vaccine developer, Quratis, to secure a 40% stake and management rights in the company and strengthen its own long-acting injectable (LAI) drug platform and lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology for mRNA vaccines and gene therapies.

Catalent, the global CDMO now in the ownership of Novo Holdings, has partnered with Belgian biotech, Galapagos NV, to expand decentralized manufacturing for GLPG5101 - an investigational CAR-T therapy for relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Catalent will support Galapagos’ upcoming clinical trials in the New Jersey and New York regions by leveraging its cell therapy facility located in Princeton, New Jersey.

Lantheus Holdings, a radiopharmaceutical company specializing in diagnostics and targeted therapeutics, has announced an agreement to acquire Evergreen Theragnostics, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company engaged in CDMO services and proprietary product commercialization. The deal includes an upfront payment of USD 250 mn, with potential milestone payments reaching up to USD 752.5 mn.

San Francisco-based CDMO Joinn Biologics has completed the acquisition of Lonza's 183,000 sq. ft (17,000 m2) manufacturing plant in Guangzhou, as the company looks to increase its foothold in China's Greater Bay Area and enhance its service offerings across the Asia-Pacific region.

Samsung Biologics has signed a USD 1.4 bn contract with an undisclosed European pharmaceutical company, involving the manufacturing of a biomedicine at its Songdo, Korea, facilities from late 2024 through 2030. As a result of the contract, the company now collaborates with 17 of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical firms.

Two Australian CDMOs, BioCina and NovaCina, have announced a strategic merger to operate as a single contract manufacturing company under the BioCina name.

Indian CDMO, Aragen, has secured a USD 100 mn investment from Singapore-based private equity firm Quadria Capital to enhance the company's capacity and multi-modality services - including the expansion of its infrastructure and capabilities in areas such as oligonucleotides, peptides, ADCs, biology services, and biologics, and to integrate AI and machine learning into its drug discovery and manufacturing processes.

Biologics and biosimilars CDMO, Tanvex, has successfully completed its acquisition of Bora Biologics, a subsidiary of Bora Pharmaceuticals. The companies will merge their biosimilar expertise and Tanvex’s FDA-licensed commercial-scale facility in San Diego with Bora Biologics' early-stage biologics CDMO capabilities in Taiwan to offer comprehensive, efficient end-to-end biologics solutions.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has acquired a UK-based biotech, Oxular, which specializes in retinal diseases to enhance its ophthalmology portfolio. The acquisition includes Oxular's proprietary ocular delivery technology and its Phase 2 therapy, OXU-001, which are currently under investigation for diabetic macular edema.

California-based, Lifecore Biomedical, has partnered with Nirsum Laboratories to provide CDMO services to support the clinical development of Nirsum's leading candidate for treating opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), NRS-033. With the drug entering Phase 2 clinical trials, Lifecore will provide filled syringes for the studies.

Merck has entered into an exclusive global license agreement with China's Hansoh Pharma to develop and commercialize HS-10535. The investigational oral GLP-1 receptor agonist is currently in preclinical stages and adds to Merck’s existing obesity treatment portfolio.

AI antibody therapeutics company, iBio, has entered a USD 29 mn agreement with AstralBio to develop a preclinical anti-myostatin antibody, IBIO-600, aimed at promoting weight loss while preserving muscle mass. Preclinical studies of IBIO-600 have already demonstrated the drug’s ability to inhibit myostatin, a negative regulator of muscle growth, thus suggesting its potential to enhance muscle preservation during weight loss.

ActiGraph, a leader in wearable digital health technology, has acquired Biofourmis Connect, a division of Biofourmis specializing in AI-driven digital trial platforms for life sciences.

Novo Holdings has finalized its USD 16.5 bn acquisition of leading CDMO, Catalent, after the deal passed months of debate over potential antitrust issues involving U.S. authorities and the European Commission.

German CDMO Adragos Pharma has acquired Swiss manufacturer Baccinex, marking the addition of its sixth global manufacturing site and strengthening its position in sterile manufacturing. The facility, based in Courroux, Switzerland, specializes in fill-finish services for clinical trials and small-to-medium-scale commercial production. It will continue to operate under the leadership of founder and CEO Ursula Bausch.

South Korean pharma, Boryung Corp., has announced a partnership with Taiwanese CDMO Lotus Pharmaceutical, for services focused on cytotoxic drugs and will take on the role of manufacturing an anticancer injection for Lotus.