Vertex Pharmaceuticals has ended its 2022 research collaboration with Verve Therapeutics, set up to develop an in vivo gene editing program for a specific liver disease. The decision, attributed to Vertex's shifting research priorities, allows Verve to regain full rights to the program.

Leading CDMO, Alcami, has announced the appointment of Tori E. Arens as President of Drug Product. With over 25 years’ experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, Arens will oversee Alcami's cGMP drug product manufacturing operations, including sterile fill-finish facilities in North and South Carolina, as well as oral solid dose manufacturing, packaging, and labeling in North Carolina.

DNA CDMO, Touchlight, has appointed Will Downie as a key adviser to advance its genetic medicine initiatives. Downie brings 30+ years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, having previously served as CEO of Argenta and Vectura Group, and before that as Senior VP and Chief Commercial Officer at Catalent.

Thermo Fisher is continuing staff layoffs with the expected announcement to lay off 300 workers at its viral vector manufacturing facilities in Cambridge and Plainville, Massachusetts. This comes in addition to the 160 job cuts announced in November last year - which resulted in jobs cuts across Cambridge and Plainville, as well as at its Lexington manufacturing facility.

Leading global biopharmaceutical CDMO, Rentschler Biopharma SE, has announced its intention to withdraw from the cell and gene therapy sector, ceasing operations at its Stevenage, UK site. Instead, it will concentrate on biologics in response to, it says, evolving market conditions and client needs, so that it can focus on sustainable growth and innovation.

Despite a 2.1% decrease in annual sales to USD 7.2 bn in 2024, Lonza CEO Wolfgang Wienand highlighted strong demand for its CDMO services, combined with the high volume of contracts - including two customer contracts at its new acquired large-scale mammalian production facility in Vacaville, California.

At JPM 2025, James Park, CEO of Lotte Biologics, outlined the company’s dual CDMO strategy. The company will focus on small- to medium-scale drug production - including ADCs - at their Syracuse, New York facility, while large-scale drug production will be handled at the planned Songdo bio-campus in Korea.

Singaporean biotech, DotBio, is aiming to revolutionize cancer treatment by targeting exhausted T-cells with its tri-specific antibody, DB007. The antibody, built using DotBio’s modular DotBody technology, is designed to treat a broad range of solid tumors either as a standalone therapy or in combination with others.

Novo Holdings, the controlling shareholder of Novo Nordisk, intends to significantly expand Catalent, the contract drug manufacturer it completed its acquisition of in December 2024. Novo aims to potentially double Catalent's size over the next five years, aligning with anticipated U.S. policies under President Trump that emphasize domestic manufacturing.

U.S. CRDMO, BioDuro, has opened a new solid-phase peptide synthesis scale-up facility at its Shanghai campus to support peptide synthesis up to 800 mmol for a wide range of peptides, including linear and cyclic peptides, as well as peptide-drug conjugates.

Thermo Fisher Scientific projects a positive outlook for its CDMO services, influenced by industry dynamics and geopolitical factors. The now complete acquisition of Catalent by Novo Holdings is expected to reduce competition for Thermo in the CDMO sector.

As the demand for advanced therapies continues to grow, CDMOs are fast becoming the solution for biopharma companies that need specialized expertise and capabilities that are scalable for their drug development and commercialization.

In addition to rebranding itself from BioDuro-Sundia, BioDuro, the global contract research, development and manufacturing organization (CRDMO) announced it has achieved Gold Medal ratings in the 2024 EcoVadis sustainability assessment for its Jiangsu and Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ) sites in China.

The European CDMO industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by a shift toward localized manufacturing. In a bid to enhance supply chain security, ensure compliance with EU regulations, and improve logistical efficiency, the industry has seen a rise in "friend-shoring", whereby European companies are increasingly favoring European neighbors over those on other continents.

Biomanufacturing CDMO, National Resilience, has announced plans to lay off approximately 105 employees at its Alachua, Florida facility as part of a strategic pivot away from government business toward commercial development and manufacturing. The restructuring coincides with a leadership change, as CEO Rahul Singhvi steps down and is replaced by William Marth. However, the company will continue to expand elsewhere, including a USD 225 mn investment in Cincinnati and creating 440 new jobs at its West Chester, Ohio facility.

Massachusetts biotech Agenus is undergoing its second reorganization in 16 months, pivoting to include CDMO services at its 25,000-square-foot Berkeley clinical facility and 83,000-square-foot Emeryville commercial plant for third-party biologics manufacturing.

Californian-based, SK pharmteco, has announced a brand unification initiative, bringing together several respected organizations under its umbrella to create a global CDMO. SK biotek, SK biotek Ireland, Center for Breakthrough Medicines, Yposkesi, AMPAC Fine Chemicals, and AMPAC Analytical, will now combine to operate as SK pharmteco, providing a comprehensive range of services from early-stage development to commercial manufacturing and analytical testing.

Swiss manufacturing company, Lonza, has announced a strategic shift to focus on its CDMO business. The company will restructure its existing CDMO business into three new units - integrated biologics, advanced synthesis, and specialized modalities - as it focuses on its ambition to achieve and maintain leadership across therapeutic modalities.

Overall, 2024 was a good year to be working in the CDMO industry, but will the outlook stay positive for 2025?

Forecasts predict a steady rise in continuing growth trends from 2024, with estimates indicating the global pharmaceutical CDMO market is set to grow from USD 184.90 bn in 2024 to USD 197.40 bn in 2025, and looking further ahead, predicted to reach USD 368.70 bn by 2034.

CRDMO BioDuro has announced the appointment of Alan Findlater as their new CCO, who brings over 25 years of senior commercial leadership experience in the life sciences and pharmaceutical services industry to his new role. Findlater has experience leading high-performing teams and managing complex product and service portfolios, with his expertise also extending to executing successful strategic growth initiatives on a global scale and building high-value partnerships with industry leaders such as Amgen, Pfizer, and Roche.