India’s Calibre Buys RheinPerChemie from Evonik
Indian specialty chemicals company Calibre Chemicals has agreed to acquire RheinPerChemie (RPC) from Evonik. Based in Rheinfelden, Germany, RPC manufactures ammonium and sodium persulfates.
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
IMCD Buys Japan’s Kuni Chemical
IMCD has taken over Japanese specialty distribution company Kuni Chemical for an undisclosed sum. Kuni specializes in industrial applications that range from coatings and construction to automotive and packaging materials.
SK Closes Sale of NuCera Solutions to Chase
An affiliate of funds advised by SK Capital Partners has completed the sale of NuCera Solutions to international specialty chemicals company Chase Corp. for $250 million. The companies entered into the agreement on Jul. 18.
Technip Energies Buys DSM’s Biosuccinium Technology
French engineering and technology company Technip Energies has boosted its sustainable chemicals portfolio with the purchase of DSM’s biosuccinium technology. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Clariant Sells Quats to Global Amines
Clariant has agreed to sell its quats business to Singapore’s Global Amines for $113 million. Global Amines is a 50:50 joint venture between Clariant and Singapore-based agricultural and oleochemicals company Wilmar.
Novo Nordisk Boosts Blood Disorders with Forma Buy
Danish pharma Novo Nordisk has agreed to acquire US clinical-stage biopharma Forma Therapeutics in a deal worth $1.1 billion that will expand its blood disorders portfolio. Forma’s board of directors has unanimously approved the takeover, which is expected to close in the final quarter of 2022.
Germany’s LTS Lohmann Buys US CDMO Tapemark
Germany’s LTS Lohmann Therapie-Systeme has completed the acquisition of St. Paul, Minnesota-headquartered CDMO Tapemark, a US specialist in transdermal drug delivery systems, oral thin films and unit dose semi-solid drug and iontophoresis products.
Evotec Enhances Rare Disease Focus with Central Glass Buy
German CDMO Evotec is to acquire compatriot company Central Glass Germany from Japanese owner Central Glass for a nominal price of €1. The transaction, which remains subject to the usual closing conditions, is expected to complete on Nov. 1.
Ineos Phenol to Buy Mitsui Phenols Singapore
Ineos Phenol is paying $330 million to acquire Mitsui Phenols Singapore. With the deal, expected to close in the first quarter of 2023, subject to regulatory approval, it will add 1 million tonnes of annual capacity to its production volume. The business had sales of $750 million in 2021 and 120 employees, all of whom will transfer to the new owner.
Investindustrial Sells PVC Compounder Benvic to ICIG
European private equity group Investindustrial — through subsidiary PVC Europe — has agreed a sale of PVC compounder Benvic to International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG). However, it expects to retain Benvic’s medical activities in Italy.
Novartis Definitely Plans to Spin off Sandoz
Novartis has finally confirmed definite plans to spin off its generic drugs arm Sandoz.
IMCD Strengthens Americas Presence with PromaPlast Deal
IMCD has agreed to buy PromaPlast, a distributor of advanced materials serving markets in Mexico and the US. Terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in September, were not disclosed.
Azelis Makes Another Move in Turkey
Azelis has agreed to buy Turkish specialty chemicals distributor Dağalti Kauçuk San, marking its third acquisition in the country so far this year.
Solenis Expands Water Treatment Portfolio with Clearon Buy
US specialty chemicals company Solenis has entered into an agreement to buy Clearon, a compatriot manufacturer of sanitizers and disinfectants for water treatment and household, industrial and institutional applications. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Covestro Selling Additive Manufacturing to Stratasys
German engineering plastics producer Covestro has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Additive Manufacturing Business to US 3D printing specialist Stratasys for about €43 million. Closing of the deal is expected for the first quarter of 2023.
Sartorius to Acquire Albumedix for £415 Million
Göttingen, Germany-based life science group Sartorius, through its French-listed subgroup Sartorius Stedim Biotech, plans to acquire all shares of Nottingham, England’s Albumedix, a specialist in recombinant albumin-based solutions, for about £415 million.
Borealis Confirms Squeeze-Out Offer for Rosier
Borealis has confirmed its intention to launch a squeeze-out offer for Belgian fertilizer producer Rosier. It already held 77.5% of Rosier and raised its shareholding to 98.09% through a capital increase late last month.
Catalent to Buy Metrics Contract Services
CDMO heavyweight Catalent is acquiring compatriot Metrics Contract Services, a full-service specialty CDMO with a facility in Greenville, North Carolina, for $475 million. Mayne Pharma Group is the seller.
Gilead Buys Oxford Spin-out MiroBio
Gilead Sciences has agreed to acquire MiroBio, a privately held UK biotech focused on treating inflammatory diseases, for about $405 million in cash.
Amgen Takes ChemoCentryx for $3.7 Billion
Amgen is beefing up its inflammatory diseases portfolio with an agreement to buy US biopharma ChemoCentryx for roughly $3.7 billion. The deal gives Amgen access to vasculitis treatment Tavneos.
Pfizer to Pay $5.4 Billion for Global Blood Therapeutics
Pfizer is paying $5.4 billion to acquire Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), a drugmaker specialized in treating blood disorders. It is one of several deals the company has inked recently to offset dwindling sales from its vaccine and therapeutics for Covid-19.
Barentz Acquires Volp in Brazil
The consolidation in the distribution sector continues. In the latest deal, Life Sciences distributor Barentz International has announced the acquisition of Volp Indústria e Comércio, a Brazilian distributor of supplies and solutions for the Personal Care sector.
Univar Buys Spanish Distributor Vicom
Univar Solutions has bought Vicom Distribución Productos Quimicos, a specialty chemicals distributor operating in Spain and Portugal, in its first acquisition of the year.
CSL Close to Finally Taking Control of Vifor
Australian biopharma CSL said this week it has received all the regulatory clearance required to take over Switzerland’s Vifor. The acquisition announced in December 2021 temporarily stalled in May 2022.
Trinseo Pauses Styrenics Sale
Trinseo has suspended plans for the sale of its styrenics business because of the current macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty. The company announced last November that it had begun exploring a potential divestment of the business, formally launching a sales process in the first quarter of this year.
Nutrien Buys Brazil’s Casa do Adubo
Canadian fertilizer producer Nutrien has agreed to buy Brazil’s Casa do Adubo, boosting its growth in both Brazil and the Latin American region. Financial terms were not revealed.
Arkema to Buy Mexico’s Polimeros Especiales
French specialty chemicals producer Arkema has announced it will acquire privately owned Mexican company Polimeros Especiales, a producer of high performance waterborne resins for applications in architectural and decorative paints, textiles, pressure sensitive adhesives and construction.
Azelis Buys Malaysia’s ChemSol
Azelis is acquiring Chemical Solutions (ChemSol), a distributor of raw materials for the personal care, cosmetics and household market segments in Malaysia.
Vertex Buys ViaCyte for $320 Million
US-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay $320 million in cash to acquire ViaCyte, a compatriot private cellular therapy company specializing in a treatment for type-1 diabetes (T1D). The transaction is expected to close later this year.
Solvias Boosts Testing Services with Cergentis Buy
Solvias, a Swiss CDMO serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, material science and cosmetic industries, has acquired Dutch biotech Cergentis for an undisclosed sum. The deal bolsters Solvias’ platform of biologics and cell and gene therapy (CGT) testing solutions.
Petrobras Closes Deten Sale to CEPSA
Brazilian oil group Petrobras has finalized the sale of its entire 27.88% stake in linear alkyl benzene (LAB) producer Deten Quimica to Spanish energy and petrochemicals group CEPSA Quimica for 514 million Brazilian reais.
Koch Takes OCP’s Stake in Jorf Fertilizers
US-based Koch Ag & Energy Solutions (KAES) has acquired a 50% stake in Jorf Fertilizers Company III (JFC III) from Moroccan phosphates and fertilizer giant OCP and at the same time established a 50:50 joint venture with OCP.
Azelis Continues Acquisition Spree with Buys in Lebanon, Turkey
Azelis is continuing its recent acquisition spree with agreements to buy two more companies in Lebanon and Turkey.
Petronas to Acquire Perstorp for €1.54 Billion
Malaysian petrochemicals giant Petronas Group (PCG) has conditionally agreed to acquire all of Swedish chemical producer Perstorp from Financière Forêt, a European private equity investor belonging to PAI Partners.
Pfizer Buys Biohaven for $11.6 Billion
Major drugmaker Pfizer has agreed to buy US biotech Biohaven Pharmaceutical for around $11.6 billion. Founded in 2013 and based in New Haven, Connecticut, Biohaven specializes in drugs that target neurological diseases and rare disorders.
