API and ADC manufacturer, Axplora, has announced a USD 52 m investment at its site in Mourenx, France, to enhance large-scale API production and chromatography capabilities. Construction is set to begin immediately, with manufacturing output expected to commence in 2026.

India’s pharmaceutical industry has long been synonymous with cost-effective pharmaceutical manufacturing - particularly when it comes to generic drugs. In recent years, India has been making a significant shift from low-cost generic drug production into CDMO services.

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.

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.

French biotech, SeaBeLife's, has announced promising preclinical trial results for its drug candidate, SBL03, an ophthalmic gel aimed at treating geographic atrophy (GA), a severe form of age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD). The gel - a dual inhibitor of regulated necrotic cell death - demonstrated significant protection of retinal structure and function after repeated topical applications.

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.

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.

Upperton Pharma Solutions has completed a USD 8.6 mn sterile manufacturing facility at its Trent Gateway site in Nottingham, UK. Built to meet the latest EU GMP Annex-1 regulations, the 7,000 sq. ft (650 m2) facility supports aseptic and terminally sterilized small-volume liquids and powders for parenteral, nasal, and pulmonary delivery, handling batch capacities of up to 2,000 vials, syringes, and cartridges.

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies is approaching a pivotal year in 2025, with CEO Lars Petersen anticipating it to be the "biggest year" yet for the company's extensive USD 8 billion expansion. By late summer, approximately half of these manufacturing investments are expected to be operational, significantly enhancing the company's capacity to serve high-profile pharmaceutical clients.

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.

The global biologics market is expected to reach USD 720 bn by 2030 - fueled by the increasing demand for biologics, biosimilars, and advanced therapies - and is undoubtedly an area of keen interest for CDMOs specializing in biologics.

Kurt Nielsen, Ph.D., talks with Dan Smithey, Ph.D., CEO of Serán Bioscience, about oral drug innovation, large language models, complexity, and how flexibility can create new pathways to reach market quickly.

Bobby Sheng, Group CEO & Chairman of Bora Pharmaceuticals, discusses his vision for building a world-class CDMO focused on reliable global supply. Sheng's strategy centers on fostering a strong, quality-driven culture within Bora, which he believes is crucial for growth. He highlights the increasing demand for outsourcing in the biopharmaceutical industry, driven by biotech companies needing to overcome time and capital constraints.

Adare Pharma Solutions CEO Tom Sellig reaffirmed the critical role of small molecules in modern medicine and highlighted the company's innovative approach to oral solid dose (OSD) development. Sellig noted the growing trend of transitioning from injectable to oral solid forms, particularly for drugs like GLP-1s, and emphasized the continued dominance of small molecules in addressing various therapeutic needs, including CNS and oncology.

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.

The U.S. government has awarded Moderna USD 590 mn to advance its mRNA-based avian influenza vaccine, mRNA-1018, into late-stage clinical trials amid rising human H5N1 infections. The funding also supports clinical studies for up to five additional pandemic influenza subtypes.