Arcadium Lithium announced the completion of the all-stock merger of equals between Allkem and Livent. With roughly $1.9 billion of combined total revenue in 2022 and a global team of more than 2,600 employees, the new, combined company is one of the largest integrated producers of lithium chemicals.
Japan’s AGI Group, a producer of scientific precision glassware, has acquired flow chemistry company Chemtrix, based in Echt, the Netherlands. Chemtrix’s flow reactor portfolio delivers increased process safety, reduced operating costs and new chemical possibilities at scales ranging from milligrams in the lab through to tons for manufacturing.
Water treatment chemicals company Usalco has acquired the coagulant manufacturing business of Brenntag Southwest, a US subsidiary of Germany-headquartered chemical distributor Brenntag. Terms of the transaction, including the purchase price, were not disclosed.
US drug manufacturer Eli Lilly has completed its acquisition of radiopharmaceutical company Point Biopharma for approximately $1.4 billion.
AstraZeneca has agreed to acquire Gracell Biotechnologies, a Chinese developer of cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, for up to $1.2 billion. Only on Dec. 12, 2023, AstraZeneca announced that it was planning to acquire Icosavax for $1.2 billion.
Bristol Myers Squibb will acquire RayzeBio for a total equity value of approximately $4.1 billion, or $3.6 billion net of estimated cash acquired. The transaction was unanimously approved by both the Bristol Myers Squibb and RayzeBio Boards of Directors.
Barentz has acquired Radian in India, reinforcing its product portfolio with color cosmetic ingredients. The move anticipates substantial growth in the Asia Pacific region. Radian's CEO, Manoj Botadra, and the current team will continue to manage operations, ensuring a smooth transition.
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and Karuna Therapeutics have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which the US drug maker has agreed to acquire the Boston-based biopharmaceutical company for a total equity value of $14.0 billion, or $12.7 billion net of estimated cash acquired. The transaction was unanimously approved by both the BMS and Karuna Boards of Directors.
Gilead has exclusive rights for the advancement and commercialization of anti-IL18 binding protein antibodies targeting various tumor types. Gilead commits to a significant deal, including a €55 million ($60 million) upfront payment and a €27 million ($30 million) milestone payment in the near term, with a total potential value of up to €775 million ($848 million).
Swiss Biosynth, a supplier of raw materials to the life science industry, has acquired VIO Chemicals, a Zurich, Switzerland-based company with leading chemical R&D expertise and a global network of large-scale manufacturing partners. Financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Dutch fertilizer and industrial chemicals group OCI Global has agreed to sell 100% of its equity interests in its US nitrogen fertilizer facility Iowa Fertilizer Company (IFCO), located in Wever, Iowa, to Koch Ag & Energy Solutions (KAES) for $3.6 billion.
Iktos, a French company specialized in artificial intelligence (AI) for new drug design, and Bayer’s Crop Science division announced a collaboration to expand the use of AI in the discovery and development of new sustainable crop protection products.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has agreed to acquire OCI Global's entire majority stake in fertilizer producer Fertiglobe for $3.62 billion. Fertiglobe is a joint venture established in October 2019 between the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Dutch fertilizer and industrial chemicals group.
Samyang Holdings has acquired the management rights of the U.S.-based specialty chemical manufacturer Verdant Specialty Solutions from private equity firm OpenGate Capital. The total acquisition was approximately €230 million ($250 million).
US API maker Veranova has appointed Lucas Sauer-Jones as the company’s vice president & general manager, New England. He will be responsible for Veranova’s sites in Devens and North Andover.
AstraZeneca has entered into an agreement to acquire Icosavax, a US biopharmaceutical company based in Seattle in a deal worth up to $1.1 billion. The company focuses on the development of differentiated vaccines with high potential using an innovative virus-like protein (VLP) particle platform.
Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical has completed the construction of a pilot facility using a highly efficient process for producing methanol from CO2 at its Ehime Works facility, located in Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan, and has started operations at the facility.
SABIC, Scientific Design (SD), and Linde Engineering have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on decarbonizing the SD Ethylene Glycol Process.
BASF has completed its capacity expansion for key specialty amines manufactured at its US site in Geismar, Louisiana. The project, announced in June 2022, allows the company to increase production of polyetheramines and amine catalysts marketed under the Baxxodur and Lupragen brands.
PGNIG Upstream Norway (PUN), part of Polen's Orlen, has signed an agreement with Horisont Energi to acquire a 50% stake in the CO2 exploration license Polaris in the Barents Sea and become its operator. The transaction, Orlen said, marks a significant step in advancing the group’s emerging business line focused on the management of industrial CO2 emissions.
On January 1, 2024, Anna Bertona will take on the role of Group CEO, succeeding Hans Joachim Müller, who will retire after serving more than 11 years in that role. Ralf Kempf asked Müller and Bertona about the foundations for the group's continued success and plans for its future strategic direction.
Lars Wallstein, IMCD’s Managing Director Germany, who was elected in September as President of FECC – the European Association of Chemical Distributors. He discusses current market trends and the organization's vision for the future of the sector.
Chemical industry's pivotal role in sustainability; Carbon accounting as a game-changer for competitiveness
Rising demand for sustainability-related products will create a huge growth opportunity for chemical companies.
The Heidelberg-based start-up Blue Activity replaces 100% of biocides in cooling water treatment with natural, functional microorganisms. The product change increases the efficiency of cooling tower performance and reduces water consumption and operating costs.
In today’s world, where environmental sustainability is at the forefront of global concerns, green chemistry stands as a beacon of hope. This field focuses on inventing sustainable solutions that mitigate the harmful impact of traditional chemical processes.
Austrian energy group OMV and synthetic rubber producer Synthos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which the two companies will cooperate on sustainability. The focus is on the supply of sustainable raw materials that can be used for the production of high-performance tires.
Yesterday, Syensqo announced the listing of its shares on Euronext Brussels and Euronext Paris. After completing the spin-off from Solvay, the listing marks a historical milestone as the company embarks on an innovation-driven journey.
Solvay’s shareholders supported the separation with 99.53 % approval, giving official birth to Syensqo.
Process manufacturing companies waste almost $100 billion globally every year while formulating novel materials and chemicals due to the trial-and-error approach to R&D and the lack of tools to leverage the experimental data in real-time.
Manual experiment monitoring and data capture is still the status quo in most biotech and pharma labs, compromising efficiency and project timescales. But there is a better way.
The Spanish computational chemistry start-up Nextmol (Bytelab Solutions), a spin-off from the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that accelerates research and innovation in sustainable specialty chemicals through “in silico” experiments using molecular modeling and artificial intelligence (AI).
AkzoNobel has signed a strategic agreement with China’s Wuxi El Pont Radiation Technology to develop a pioneering process that uses electron beams to cure coatings on metal substrates.
Surfactants, a portmanteau of “surface” and “active” agent, play a pivotal role in various industries. These molecules are designed to work at interfaces, with the most common interface being the boundary between oil and water.
At the end of last week, Belgian chemicals and recycling company Umicore held the groundbreaking ceremony in Changshu, Jiangsu province, China, for its new large-scale fuel cell catalyst plant.
