The Future of Sustainability Policy
Over the past few years, sustainability has become a priority for innovation teams in the materials and chemicals industry as well as consumer-facing industries like apparel, food, and beauty.
News
Dispersol and Catalent Leverage KinetiSol Knowhow
DisperSol Technologies, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing new treatments for oncology and rare diseases, has linked up with CDMO Catalent on a strategic manufacturing collaboration to accelerate the development of multiple DisperSol pharmaceutical products.
Rotterdam and Japan Firms in Hydrogen Shipping Plan
The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Dutch storage and transportation company Koole Terminals have signed an agreement with Japanese corporations Chiyoda and Mitsubishi to jointly study the feasibility of importing hydrogen long-distance on a commercial scale.
Bayer to Acquire US Biotech Vividion Therapeutics
In a deal potentially worth $2 billion, German drugs and agriculture company Bayer is acquiring Vividion Therapeutics, a San Diego-based US biotech. The California company focuses on using protein surface screening to unlock high value, traditionally undruggable, targets.
Lubrizol Advances TPU Investment Program
US specialty chemicals company Lubrizol has embarked on the next phase of its staged, multi-million-dollar investment program in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) capacity and capabilities to serve the rapidly growing global paint protection films (PPF) market.
Brenntag Buys Matrix Chemical
In its fifth announced acquisition so far this year, Brenntag has taken over North America's Matrix Chemical for an undisclosed sum. Signing and closing of the acquisition occurred simultaneously.
BASF and Sinopec Expand Capacity at Nanjing
German chemical giant BASF and its Chinese joint venture partner Sinopec have unveiled plans to expand several downstream plants at the Nanjing petrochemicals complex they operate under the name BASF-YPC. The expansion will cover propionic acid, propionic aldehyde, ethyleneamines, ethanolamines and purified ethylene oxide.
Danimer Buys Novomer for $152 million
US bioplastics company Danimer Scientific has agreed to pay $152 million cash for Novomer, a developer and producer of biodegradable materials. Both companies’ boards of directors have approved the deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter.
LYB Deals With Fallout from La Porte Blast
LyondellBasell (LYB) has announced it is restarting its polymers and olefins units at La Porte, Texas, USA, where a production facility was hit by an acetic acid leak on Jul. 27, killing two people and injuring 30 others.
EU Commission Orders up to 100 million Novavax Covid Vaccine Doses
The European Commission has finalized an advance purchase agreement with Novavax covering 100 million doses of the US biotech’s protein-based Covid-19 vaccine initially, combined with an option to take an additional 100 million doses by 2023.
Nouryon Licenses CiD Technology to China
Nouryon has agreed to license its Continuous Initiator Dosing (CiD) technology for PVC production to China’s Shaanxi Beiyuan Chemical Group for five years. The Dutch chemical company will also supply its Trigonox 187 proprietary CiD initiator, which it will produce at its site in Tianjin, China.
BASF and Eni to Develop Bio-based Propanol
BASF and Eni have agreed to jointly develop new technology to produce bio-propanol from glycerin, a byproduct from the production of industrial biodiesel, or fatty acid methyl ester (FAME).
Sanofi to Buy mRNA Biotech Translate Bio
French drugmaker Sanofi has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Translate Bio, the clinical-stage mRNA therapeutics company with which it is currently cooperating on a Covid-19 vaccine. Both boards have unanimously approved the proposed all-cash transaction.
Curia Buys LakePharma
US CDMO Curia, formerly AMRI, has agreed to acquire LakePharma, a privately held biologics drug discovery, clinical research, development and manufacturing organization. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Ineos Sells Sulphur Chemicals to ICIG
Ineos has sold its Sulphur Chemicals business to International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG), the fine chemicals platform of the Luxembourg- and Germany-based industrial private equity investor. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
BioNTech Developing new Malaria Vaccine
BioNTech has launched a new project aimed at developing what it hopes will be a well-tolerated and highly effective malaria vaccine for the African continent. The Mainz, Germany-based company, which developed a Covid-19 vaccine together with Pfizer in only ten months, said its goal is to produce the malaria vaccine locally.
IMCD Acquires Mexico’s Maquimex
In its fourth acquisition this year to date, IMCD has agreed to buy Materias Quimicas de Mexico (Maquimex) for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is expected to close during August.
Haldor Topsoe in China Methanol Catalysts Venture
Haldor Topsoe has formed a joint venture with Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum to build a plant in Shaanxi Fupin in China to produce methanol synthesis catalysts for the Chinese market.
Amgen Boosts Antibody Portfolio with Teneobio Buy
US biopharma Amgen has agreed to buy privately held clinical-stage biotech Teneobio in a deal worth up to $2.5 billion. The acquisition will expand Amgen’s antibody development capabilities for drugs to treat cancer and other diseases in the firm’s core therapeutic areas.
Regeneron and AstraZeneca in Obesity Partnership
US biotech Regeneron is collaborating with AstraZeneca to research, develop and commercialize small molecule medicines targeting GPR75 for treating obesity.
Clariant Hikes Catalysts Output in Germany
Clariant has expanded and enhanced capacity for emission control catalysts at its plant in Heufeld, Germany, in order to meet growing demand worldwide, and especially in China.
GSK Plans Life Sciences Campus at Stevenage
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the UK’s largest drugmaker, plans to establish a new life sciences campus within its R&D site at Stevenage, England. The company said it is financing the project with the £400 million intake from selling land at the site.
Two Fatal Accidents Rock Chemicals Sector
Two fatal accidents, one in Germany, another in the US, rocked the international chemical industry on Jul 26 and 27, killing at least four workers. Another five people were still missing and feared dead on Jul. 28.
KBR Wins Israel Nitric Acid Contract
US engineering contractor KBR has won a contract from Haifa Group to expand nitric acid capacity at two plants at Mishor Rotem, Israel.
DSM Takes Full Control of Midori
DSM has paid $63 million to take full control of Midori USA, a biotech start-up based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Dutch group already owned 38.5% of Midori and has now acquired the remaining 61.5%.
Brenntag Closes China Purchases
Brenntag has completed two purchases in China within its Specialties division. On Jul. 23, it closed the acquisition of the first tranche – 67% - of food ingredients specialist Zhongbai Xingye. Purchase of the second tranche – and full acquisition – of the Beijing-based company is expected to be finalized by the end of 2024.
LyondellBasell Takes Over PolyPacific Polymers
LyondellBasell has taken over 100% of PolyPacific Polymers (PPM), a compounder based at Port Klang, Malaysia. The Malaysian production facility, which has capacity to produce 25,000 t/y of reinforced and modified polyolefin compounds, will be rebranded as LyondellBasell. All employees will transfer.
CDC Advisory Panel Says J&J Shot Safe
An expert panel advising the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has concluded that Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine presents greater benefits than safety risks, especially in view of the rapid spread of the Delta variant – despite a number of cases of the nerve disease Guillain-Barré (GBS) syndrome.
ASK Chemicals Buys SI’s Industrial Resins
German foundry chemicals company ASK Chemicals has agreed to buy the majority of the industrial resins business of SI Group, a US manufacturer of performance additives, process solutions, pharmaceuticals and chemical intermediates, for an undisclosed sum. The transaction does not include the businesses in the US and China.
Methanex Resumes Work on Geismar 3 Project
Canadian methanol giant Methanex is to resume construction on its 1.8 million t/y Geismar 3 methanol project in Louisiana, USA, because of a positive industry outlook and stronger financial position. Work was halted in April 2020 because of the global economic uncertainty from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dow Aiming to Rebuild Plastics Portfolio?
Dow may revive an earlier expansion project that would add 600,000 t/y of LLDPE capacity on the US Gulf Coast, CEO Jim Fitterling said during a conference call with journalists last week to present second quarter financial results.
Nouryon Hikes China Expancel Capacity
Nouryon will relocate its production of Expancel expandable microspheres from Suzhou to Ningbo in China, which will lead to an increase in output. The anticipated “seamless” relocation is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The company said the move will “further strengthen its leading global position in expandable microspheres”.
Johnson Matthey in Catalysis Project with BP, UK Universities
Sustainable technology company Johnson Matthey is participating in a five-year project with multinational energy giant BP and two UK universities to explore new catalyst technology to help the world achieve net zero.
EMA Starts Rolling Review of Sanofi-GSK Covid Shot
The human medicines committee of the European Medicines Agency, CHMP, has begun a rolling review of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Sanofi Pasteur, which following approval is planned to be marketed by drugmaker Sanofi and UK pharma Glaxo SmithKline.
Lilly Takes Full Control of Protomer Technologies
US drugmaker Eli Lilly has acquired Protomer Technologies, strengthening its diabetes portfolio. The deal gives Lilly full control over the privately held US biotech, having gained a 14% stake in Protomer last November following an equity investment alongside the JDRF T1D Fund – a venture philanthropy fund accelerating treatments for type 1 diabetes (T1D).
