DSM to Buy Brazil’s Prodap
DSM has entered into an agreement to buy Prodap, a Brazilian animal nutrition and technology company. The deal remains subject to customary conditions and is expected to close in 2022. Financial terms were not disclosed.
News
Brenntag Expands Saudi Presence with Al-Azzaz Venture
Leading chemicals and ingredients distributor Brenntag is partnering Al-Azzaz Chemicals, a Saudi Arabian specialty chemicals distributor, in a 75:25 joint venture. Brenntag’s alliance in Saudi is represented through Trychem FZCO, its majority-owned joint venture based in the United Arab Emirates.
Eni to Lead Qatar LNG Consortium?
State-backed Italian energy group Eni has reportedly been tapped by the government of Qatar to lead a consortium of five global energy groups to stem the near $30 billion expansion of the North Field, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.
FDA Panel Recommends Approval of Nuaxovid
In a vote of 21 in favor with one abstention, the US Food and Drug Administration’s advisory panel has recommended that the FDA approve Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine Nuaxovid for emergency use. If the health agency agrees, it would be the fourth such shot available in the US, joining the mRNA products of Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna and the viral vector shot of Johnson & Johnson’s pharma subsidiary Janssen.
Repsol Builds Iberia’s First UHMWPE Plant
Repsol has announced plans to invest €105 million to build a plant for ultra-high molecular weight PE (UHMWPE) at its Puertollano complex in Spain. The company said the facility will be the first in Iberia for the “super polymer”.
EU Parliament Rejects Commission’s ETS Revamp Plan
The European Parliament was at the center of political disagreement and disappointment on Jun. 8 as a plenary vote on one of three key climate laws failed, and the proposals were sent back to committees. Finger-pointing and name-calling across the aisles followed, according to recordings from the session.
KBR Invests in Plastics Recycling Firm
US science, technology and engineering group KBR is investing a further $100 million in chemical recycling firm Mura Technology. The move takes KBR’s aggregate investment in Mura to 18.5%.
Evonik Invests $220 Million in US Lipids Facility
German specialty chemicals producer Evonik has announced it will build a new, highly flexible, global-scale US production facility for pharmaceutical lipids at the Tippecanoe site in Lafayette, Indiana.
Lilly Invests $2.1 Billion in New Indiana Facilities
US drugmaker Eli Lilly has announced plans to invest $2.1 billion to expand its manufacturing footprint by setting up two new sites in Boone County, Indiana. The facilities will expand Lilly’s network for active ingredients and new therapeutic modalities, such as genetic medicines, while also supporting increasing demand for its products.
Milliken Invests in Coating Additives Lab
US plastics additives and colorants manufacturer Milliken said it has made a “significant investment” in the coating additives laboratory it acquired in the early 2021 takeover of Borchers Americas.
Sumitomo Chemical to Sell Nufarm Stake
Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical has decided to sell its stake in Australian agrochemicals company Nufarm. Sumitomo’s holding represents 15.9% of Nufarm’s outstanding shares.
FDA Greenlights GSK’s MMR Vaccine
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has greenlit GSK’s Priorix-branded GSK’s mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) for people 12 months and older. It is only the second such shot to be licensed for US distribution in more than 50 years. Merck & Co’s MMR-II vaccine was approved by the FDA for the pediatric application in 1971.
AkzoNobel Boosts African Presence with Kansai Paint Buy
AkzoNobel has agreed to buy Kansai Paint’s activities in Africa, strengthening its footprint in the region. The sale is expected to close in 2023, subject to regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Johnson Matthey Closes Sale of Health Business
Johnson Matthey has completed the sale of its Health business to US-based private equity firm Altaris Capital Partners for £325 million. As part of the transaction, Johnson Matthey has retained a stake of approximately 30% in the business, which has been rebranded as Veranova.
Pfizer to Quit GSK Consumer JV with Cash Windfall
Pfizer is set to start divesting its 32% stake in Haleon, the consumer health joint venture with GSK, when the British pharma completes the company’s spinoff and Haleon begins trading on the London Stock Exchange on July 18.
CEPSA Invests up to €5 Billion in Andalusian Decarbonization Plan
CEPSA will invest up to €5 billion in the Andalusian region during the current decade to lead the generation of sustainable energy in Spain and Portugal.
Linde Tapped for Slovnaft’s PP Revamp
Linde Engineering has been tasked with carrying out a large-scale revamp and expansion of a polypropylene plant operated by Slovnaft in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Chemours Considers Ionomers Expansion
Chemours, the former DuPont chemicals business, is looking at investing in additional ionomers capacity to support growing demand into water electrolysis and fuel cell technology. The company is currently considering potential locations in the US and Europe with, it said, an eye to local community engagement and collaboration.
Bakelite Synthetics Buys Georgia-Pacific Chemicals
Bakelite Synthetics – formerly part of US resins producer Hexion – has closed its purchase of Georgia-Pacific Chemicals. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Lanxess and Advent Clinch DSM Plastics Deal
German specialty chemicals producer Lanxess and private equity investor Advent International have clinched a carefully constructed deal to buy DSM’s engineering plastics business for around €3.7 billion. The assets will then be merged with the Lanxess engineering plastics portfolio to create a new market player with annual sales of around €3 billion.
WHO Board Agrees Emergency Response Committee
The governing board of the World Health Organization (WHO) has agreed to form a new committee to help speed up the response to health emergencies such as Covid-19. The action addresses criticism of the agency’s perceived slowness to act during the early phase of the coronavirus before it became a full-blown global pandemic.
Olon Establishes Central R&D Hub near Milan
Major API supplier Olon is establishing a €10 million central R&D hub at its headquarters site in Roadano, near Milan. The Italian company said the facility paves the way for a further major expansion and diversification of its expertise in active pharmaceutical ingredients supplied to the CDMO and generics markets.
Johnson Matthey Sells Battery Materials Assets
Johnson Matthey has agreed to sell parts of its Battery Materials business in two separate transactions, marking a turnaround from its decision in January to close the division after failing to secure a buyer.
Lonza and Israel Biotech Fund Collaborate
Lonza and Israel Biotech Fund (IBF) have signed a framework agreement, under which the Swiss CDMO will provide advice and support for Israeli biotech companies. IBF is dedicated to investing in and developing Israel’s biotech sector.
Azelis Acquires Indian Firms
Azelis has agreed to buy Chemo India and Unipharm Laboratories, distributors of specialty chemicals and ingredients for the coatings, adhesives, sealants & elastomers (CASE), lubricants & metalworking fluids and pharmaceutical market segments in India.
Clariant and Lummus Win China PDH Project
Swiss specialty chemicals producer Clariant and its process partner, US engineering technology giant Lummus, have been tapped by Fujian Meide to supply the Catofin technology and catalysts for a new propane dehydrogenation plant (PDH) the subsidiary of Zhongjing Petrochemicals will operate in Fuzhou, China.
BP Strengthens Partnerships with ADNOC, Masdar
Building on agreements signed last September, BP, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) and Masdar have inked further agreements to progress their partnerships on blue and green hydrogen projects in both the UK and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Evonik Sells TAeTTOOz Battery Technology to InnovationLab
Evonik is selling the TAeTTOOz materials technology for printable rechargeable batteries to InnovationLab, a company that helped developed it in partnership with the chemical producer’s Creavis “strategic development arm.
Outlook for German Chemicals Is “Bleak”
German chemical and pharmaceutical producers increased output by 1.3% and sales by 7.8% to €66.3 billion in the 2022 first quarter, compared with the last 2021 quarter. The quarter-on-quarter sales total was padded by a 6.7% price rise against the last three months of 2021, the industry association Verband der Chemischen Industrie said.
Circa and Valmet Partner on ReSolute Biosolvent Project
Norwegian renewable chemicals company Circa has teamed up with Finnish technology group Valmet to progress its ReSolute project, which is currently underway in France, as well as future large-scale plants.
PCI Pharma Boosts Services with Bedford Expansion
US-based PCI Pharma Services, a multinational CDMO, is spending $100 million to enhance its capacity and capabilities in aseptic liquid fill-finish and sterile lyophilization at its campus in Bedford, New Hampshire. The move follows the acquisition of Lyophilization Services of New England (LSNE) last December, which added the Bedford site to PCI’s network.
Wacker Moving Ahead with Silicone Rubber Expansion
In line with growth targets announced in March this year, Wacker Chemie is stepping up the pace of its capacity buildup for silicone rubber specialties to meet growing demand.
Dr. Paul Lohmann partners with AloxX and the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
Dr. Paul Lohmann announces the cooperation with AloxX and the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU) in the field of innovative corrosion protection additives under the brand Lohtragon CP.
FDA Panel to Review Pediatric mRNA Covid Vaccines
Somewhat later than expected, the US may soon be able to offer Covid-19 vaccinations for children five years of age and younger, something parents have repeatedly demanded. And there may be two companies’ mRNA-based shots to choose from.
Hanmi Fine Chemical Launches CDMO Business
Korea’s Hanmi Fine Chemical, which specializes in developing and manufacturing APIs, is launching a CDMO business. The Seoul-based company will invest about 10 billion Korean won to build what it terms “high-tech” CDMO facilities.
