PCAS Agrees Sale of Canada Unit to DIC
PCAS has announced that it has decided to sell its Canadian subsidiary to DIC for €88.2 million.
News
ProductionToGo to Distribute Evonik’s 3D Printing Materials
Evonik has inked a new non-exclusive deal with compatriot ProductionToGo, covering distribution of the German specialty chemicals group’s 3D printing materials.
Dow and New Energy Blue in Bio-ethylene Deal
Dow has entered into a long-term agreement with New Energy Blue for the supply of bio-based ethylene from agricultural residues in North America.
Bankrupt Purdue Pharma Cleared to Sell Consumer Unit
Privately held US drugmaker Purdue Pharma has received permission from a US bankruptcy court to sell its consumer health business, Avrio Health, for $397 million to a subsidiary of Arcadia Consumer Healthcare.
Air Products Acquires Gas-to-Liquids Facility in Uzbekistan
Air Products is paying $1 billion to take over a natural gas-to-syngas processing facility in Uzbekistan. The industrial gases producer has signed a deal with the Uzbek government and state-owned energy company Uzbekneftegaz to buy the facility in Qashqadaryo province.
EU and Pfizer/BioNTech Amend Vaccine Pact
The European Commission and vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech have reached agreement on amending the bloc’s 2021 supply deal for the duo’s Comirnaty mRNA-based shot. The compromise that extends the last planned delivery date to 2026 follows months of discussion, with member states urging the Commission to renegotiate the controversial deal.
Arlanxeo Plans Rubber Plant in Saudi Arabia
Arlanxeo has announced plans to build a rubber production plant in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. The 140,000 t/y plant, which will be part of the $11 billion Amiral complex planned by Saudi Aramco and Total Energies, will produce two elastomers: ultra-high cis polybutadiene (NdBR) and lithium butadiene rubber (LiBR).
OQ Chemicals to Cut 10% of the Workforce
Toward achieving cost savings in the double-digit million euro range, Germany’s OQ Chemicals, part of the Oman-based OQ energy group, has announced a cost-cutting scheme that will see it cut 10% of the workforce.
FDA Grants Full Approval to Pfizer’s Paxlovid
Pfizer's oral anti-viral Covid-19 treatment Paxlovid has won full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after Emergency Use Authorization was granted in late 2021.
Olon Expands API Production
Olon, an Italian CDMO and API producer, is investing a total of €100 million in 2023 to increase production capacity, in particular at its site in Mulazzano, Lodi province.
Second German Fluegas Capture Unit to use BASF Process
Complementing a deal recently signed with Germany’s Messer industrial gases group for a carbon dioxide recovery plant in Austria, BASF has announced that a new flue gas recovery technology based on its OASE blue process will be used by a new joint venture of industrial gases and engineering group Linde and cement producer Heidelberg Materials.
IMCD Buys Malaysia’s Euro Chemo-Pharma
IMCD has agreed to buy Malaysian specialty distribution company Euro Chemo-Pharma and its wholly owned subsidiary Biofresh Green, accelerating its growth in life science markets. Financial terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, were not disclosed.
Yara Doubles UK Capacity for Crop Protection Products
Norway’s Yara has announced plans to build a new plant for specialty crop protection products and biostimulants at an existing site in York, UK.
Germany and Canada in Green Hydrogen Alliance
Germany and Canada have teamed up to create what they tout as a “secure and reliable” transatlantic supply chain for green hydrogen.
Croda Partners on Vaccine Adjuvants
UK specialty chemicals company Croda has signed partnership agreements with US companies Amyris and Botanical Solutions Inc (BSI) to source sustainable vaccine adjuvants.
Biden Seeks to Protect Covid Funding in Debit Crisis
The administration of US president Joe Biden is said to be wrangling with the Republican opposition in Congress to preserve funding for key components of the federal coronavirus response as the two sides fight over raising the debt ceiling to avert a government shutdown.
Amgen to Delay Horizon Closing at FTC Request
Reacting to a US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) restraining order, Amgen said it won’t close its $28 billion deal for Horizon until the courts have ruled. The FTC says the buy would allow Amgen to pressure insurers and pharmacy benefit managers into accepting higher prices.
Johnson Matthey and Hystar to Scale Green Hydrogen Production
Johnson Matthey has signed a three-year supply deal with Hystar to ramp up green hydrogen production. The UK technology group will supply membrane electrode assemblies, which are key performance-defining components for electrolyzers, as part of Hystar’s HyPilot project in Norway.
Arkema Boosts Battery Offering with Polytec PT Buy
Arkema is acquiring Polytec PT, a German company specializing in developing and manufacturing specialty adhesives and thermal interface materials for the electronic, electrical and automotive industries. The transaction is expected to close during Q2 2023.
German Merck Adds Renewable Energy Capacity
In what it calls another major step toward implementing its sustainability strategy, Germany’s Merck has signed a 16-year, off-site, virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Recurrent Energy for its Liberty County Solar project northeast of Houston Texas, in the US.
Venator in US Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Proceedings
Venator, the Huntsman spinoff that holds the family-owned business’s former titanium dioxide activities, has filed for protection from creditors under the US Chapter 11 bankruptcy code.
Vopak Sells US Storage Terminal
Dutch multinational storage operator Vopak has agreed to sell its terminal in Savannah, Georgia, USA, to BWC Terminals, a US bulk liquids storage company, for $106 million The Savannah facility mostly stores specialty chemicals, vegetable oils and asphalt.
Surfactants: Solving Challenges at Interfaces
From agrochemicals to textiles: the broad range of use of surfactants will be at the center of interest of the 11th World Surfactants Congress, CESIO 2019 in Munich
Waters Completes Acquisition of Wyatt Technology
Globally positioned US analytical instruments and software manufacturer for the life science industry Massachusetts-based Waters Corporation has completed the acquisition of California-based Wyatt Technology, a specialist in innovative light scattering and field-flow fractionation instruments, software, accessories, and services.
Graforce and Worley to Scale Methane Electrolysis Technology in Asia-Pacific
German hydrogen technology company Graforce and Australian multinational engineering contractor Worley are collaborating to scale methane electrolysis (plasmalysis) in Australia, China and Asia-Pacific.
Azelis Acquires Gillco Ingredients
Azelis has agreed to buy Gillco Ingredients, a leading US distributor of specialty ingredients for the food & nutrition market. Headquartered in San Marcos, California, Gillco has 40 employees, supplying nearly 1,000 customers.
Fueling the Circular Carbon Economy
Interview with Florian Hildebrand, Greenlyte Carbon Technologies
FTC Seeks to Block Amgen-Horizon Merger
Calling the deal announced late last year an alarming sign for biopharma, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking to block the closing of Amgen’s proposed $28 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics with a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.
Dow to Deploy Nuclear Reactors at Texas Site
In an as yet unusual move for a chemical producer, Dow plans to build what it said is a “first set” of small modular nuclear reactors at its Seadrift, Texas, site south of Houston, in partnership with Maryland-based nuclear developer X-Energy Reactor Co.
Apollo Walks Away from Wood
US private equity group Apollo Management Holdings has walked away from a potential deal with Wood Group after more than four months of pursuing the British multinational engineering and consulting business.
Johnson Matthey Set to Catalyze the Net Zero Transition
Johnson Matthey (JM) looks back at a legacy of 200+ years. Established in 1817, the London, England-based chemical company reported annual revenues of about €18 billion in 2022. JM has built a global presence with operations in more than 30 countries. The company’s strategy is based on the vision for a cleaner, healthier world and mirrors society’s need to create a more sustainable future. JM has set out to catalyze the net zero transition by delivering sustainable solutions to customers enabled by innovative technology and leading positions in JM’s key markets automotive, chemicals, and energy. To get a better understanding of the role JM’s technological developments play for a sustainable future, Michael Reubold spoke with Maurits van Tol, the company’s Chief Technology Officer.
Navigating Uncertainty in the Biopharma Market
Biopharma companies are facing funding challenges in 2023 as interest rates rise and investors are becoming more risk adverse. There is hope on the horizon, say some analysts, while others project a prolonged slump due to inflation and global instability. Established pharmaceutical companies are often seen as safer investments, with larger developers expected to perform well in 2023, especially if litigation threats against drugs like Zantac disappear. However, concerns about revenue gaps continue for big companies like GSK and Sanofi, and their strategy and leadership will be closely monitored in the coming months.
