CDMOs/CMOs: The Key Moves in 2026
What have been key moves—capacity additions and acquisitions by CDMOs of drug substances (small molecules and biologics) thus far in 2026? A roundup of key developments.
Biopharma
Clarity, Quality and Efficiency
Unveiled in April 2026, Brenntag's biopharma brand, Byphar, is aimed at companies in the biopharmaceutical industry. Joakim Rehné, President of Brenntag Pharma EMEA, explains the strategy behind the new brand.
Northway Biotech Opens €61 Million Cell Therapy and Personalized Medicine CDMO
Northway Biotech is significantly expanding its development and manufacturing capacity with a new 3,500 sq. m facility featuring up to 20 independent cGMP manufacturing lines.
Beyond the Catalog: Enamine's Journey to Global Drug Discovery Partner
In 2026, Enamine celebrates 35 years — from a small grant-funded Kyiv lab to a global partner with 3,000+ people across six countries.
Evonik Invests €93 Million in Vancouver GMP Plant to Triple LNP Capacity
New GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) facility to meet increasing demand for lipid nanoparticle (LNP) development and clinical drug product manufacturing.
CDMO Live Americas
CDMO Live Americas is where external manufacturing partnerships are made.
Novo Nordisk Partners with Amazon to Boost Drug Discovery
Novo Nordisk and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have partnered to accelerate drug discovery with AI. A co-innovation hub in London will facilitate efforts to reduce the time to market for future medicines.
Mabion and KriSan Biotech Launch Partnership for Next-Gen ADCs
The partners will combine their unique capabilities to jointly develop, offer, and deliver integrated services in the Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADC) segment for the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Lonza and Engitix Announce License Agreement to Advance Targeted ADC Development
Agreement advances new therapies through Engitix’s unique focus on the extracellular matrix (ECM).
Samsung Biologics to Acquire PolyPeptide in All-Cash Deal, Expanding Global Manufacturing
PolyPeptide's specialized peptide expertise and global multi-site network to strengthen Samsung Biologics' multi-modality and global manufacturing excellence.
Fujifilm Biotechnologies Selected for FDA PreCheck Pilot Program to Advance US Drug Manufacturing
Fujifilm Biotechnologies' Holly Springs, NC facility has been chosen as one of seven participants in the FDA's PreCheck Pilot Program, aimed at strengthening US pharmaceutical manufacturing and regulatory readiness.
Digitalization as a Strategic Lever in R&D
Digital Innovation: a key driver of competitiveness and sustainability across the pharmaceutical industry.
Biopharma Innovation: From Bold Idea to Delivered Product
Biopharma has never lacked ambition. The gap has always been between scientific promise and a product on a shelf. That's exactly where the most consequential innovation is happening now.
Trusted Evidence in the Age of AI
AI in pharma has moved past the hype cycle and into implementation. The organizations that pull ahead won't have the most sophisticated models — they'll have the strongest evidence foundation underneath them.
From Catalogue to Collaboration: Enamine’s 35 Years of Advancing Drug Discovery
Marking 35 years of innovation, this collection celebrates how Enamine has grown from a regional supplier into a trusted global partner.
Lonza Issues License to Antharis Therapeutics for ADCs
Lonza and Antharis Therapeutics announced an exclusive, target-specific licensing agreement to develop novel dual-payload ADCs targeting gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.
Recipharm Expands US Sterile Fill and Finish Capabilities
Recipharm announced a multi-million-dollar investment in its US operations, strengthening its ability to support pharma and biotech companies with advanced sterile fill and finish services.
Chiesi Group Acquires KalVista Pharmaceuticals for $1.9 Billion
Chiesi Group has completed its acquisition of KalVista Pharmaceuticals, marking the Italian biopharmaceutical group's largest deal to date.
Axplora Repositions European Site on High-Potency Drugs as India Takes Over UDCA Production
Axplora is repositioning its Italian Farmabios site on high-potency APIs as UDCA production moves to its FDA-approved Vizag facility in India, consolidating supply and scaling for global demand.
Northway Biotech Invests €61 Million in Vilnius Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center
Northway Biotech is finalizing the Baltic region's most advanced cell therapy center — a 3,500 m² facility at Vilnius City Innovation Industrial Park, set to open Q3 2025.
Capillary Electrophoresis in Biotherapeutic Development: Platform Methods, Fragment Workflows, and ADC Characterization
Precise, reproducible, and regulatory-ready: CE-based methods are redefining how scientists characterize therapeutic mAbs and ADCs across the biotherapeutic development pipeline.
Asahi Kasei Life Science Licenses Novel ADC Technology From The Noguchi Institute
Asahi Kasei Life Science has acquired the license rights for a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology from The Noguchi Institute.
CordenPharma Acquires AmbioPharm to Expand Peptide API Capacity
Acquisition strengthens US peptide manufacturing capabilities and broadens global expertise in complex peptide APIs
Hongene Backs SiranBio's RNAi Pipeline with Advanced CDMO Support
Hongene Biotech delivers end-to-end CDMO services for SiranBio's dual-target siRNA hepatitis B candidate, from raw materials through cGMP manufacturing, highlighting its capabilities in oligonucleotide therapeutics.
Bristol Myers Squibb Bolsters Oncology Pipeline with Lonza Licensing Agreement
Bristol Myers Squibb licenses Lonza's SYNtecan linker-payload platform to advance an undisclosed ADC target, with Lonza eligible for upfront payments, milestones and royalties on resulting products.
Piramal Pharma Solutions Expands CDMO Capabilities at Michigan Facility
Piramal Pharma Solutions opens a new payload-linker suite in Michigan as part of a $90 million US investment plan, bolstering its ADC manufacturing capabilities across sites in Riverview and Lexington.
Siegfried Secures Antitrust Green Light for US and Australia Drug‑Substance Site Takeover
All closing conditions satisfied for the acquisition of three small molecule sites in the US and Australia; closing to occur as of May 1, 2026. Adds highly demanded US-based manufacturing capacity to Siegfried's network.
Resilience by Design: How Leaders Prepare Supply Chains for an Evolving Landscape
In this CHEManager Leaders & Motivators interview, Frank Romanski, Lonza Capsugel, reflects on how strategy becomes execution and what resilience demands from teams,
AbbVie Selects North Carolina for New $1.4 Billion Manufacturing Campus
The investment, its largest since its inception, demonstrates continued progress against AbbVie's $100 billion commitment to US R&D and capital investments, including manufacturing, over the next decade.
Evonik Invests €80 Million in Slovakia
Evonik is expanding its biotechnological production capacities at the Fermas site in Slovenská Ľupča with an investment of around €80 million
Brenntag Introduces New Biopharma Brand
Byphar is Brenntag's new biopharma-focused brand designed to bring quality, efficiency and flexibility to every stage of biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
Gilead to Acquire Tubulis, Strengthing Oncology Pipeline
Acquisition includes industry-leading ADC platform, its clinically-validated tubutecan linker-payload technology, and next-generation platform to expand Gilead’s ADC capabilities.
Ofichem Unifies Brands Under Single CDMO and Pharmaceutical Supplier
Ofichem has unified its six brands under the single Ofichem name, creating a fully integrated, family-owned CDMO and pharmaceutical supplier.
Outsourced Biomanufacturing
On Demand | Join biopharma professionals, CDMO leaders, and supply chain innovators for a virtual event exploring the future of outsourced biomanufacturing.
Samsung Biologics Acquires GSK’s Manufacturing Facility in Maryland, US
The acquisition marks Samsung Biologics’ geographical diversification, establishing its first US manufacturing presence and expanding regional client support.
