Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)

IMCD Acquires Puerto Rican Distributor Sachs Chemical

Rotterdam-based specialty chemicals distributor IMCD has agreed to acquire 100% of the shares of Sachs Chemical, headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Biogen Acquires Reata Pharmaceuticals

Biogen and Reata Pharmaceuticals announced late last week that Biogen has agreed to acquire Reata for €156.51 per share in cash, reflecting an enterprise value of approximately €6.6 billion.

AstraZeneca Acquires Early-stage Gene Therapies from Pfizer

Alexion, AstraZeneca's rare disease division, has agreed to buy a portfolio of preclinical gene therapy programs and enabling technologies from competitor Pfizer for up to $1 billion, plus tiered royalties on sales.

Roquette to Acquire Qualicaps

French plant ingredients supplier Roquette, which is also is a leading player in naturally-derived pharmaceutical excipients, has agreed to acquire Qualicaps, a producer of hard capsules and pharmaceutical processing equipment for oral dosage.

SK Biopharmaceuticals Aims to Become 'Big Biotech'

SK Biopharmaceuticals, a South Korean-based biotech, has announced its new strategy to propel the company towards becoming a global “big biotech.”

Zeta Acquires 20% Stake in CB Consultancy

Zeta, an Austrian engineering specialist for biopharmaceutical process plants, acquired a 20% share in Swiss company CB Consultancy. The transaction was completed by Jul. 14, 2023.

Lilly to Acquire Obesity Drug Maker Versanis

Major drugmaker Eli Lilly has agreed to acquire Versanis Bio, a privately held obesity drug maker, for up to $1.925 billion. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

ExxonMobil Acquires Denbury Valued at €4.5 Billion

ExxonMobil has acquired Denbury, a carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and enhanced oil recovery company. The all-stock transaction is valued at €4.5 billion.

Thermo Fisher Scientific to Buy CorEvitas

US scientific services supplier Thermo Fisher Scientific has agreed to acquire CorEvitas, a provider of registry data and analytic services, from Audax Private Equity for $912.5 million in cash. The transaction, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Teva Contemplates Selling $2 Billion Active Ingredients Division

Teva Pharmaceuticals considers selling its $2 billion active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) unit as part of its "Pivot to Growth" strategy.

Solenis Acquires Diversey for $4.6 Billion

Solenis, a specialty chemicals manufacturer for water-intensive industries, has completed its acquisition of Diversey, a hygiene and cleaning products provider, in an all-cash transaction valued at ~ $4.6 billion.

LyondellBasell Acquires Mepol Group for Advanced Polymer Solutions

LyondellBasell, a global leader in polymer and polyolefin technologies, has successfully acquired Mepol Group, a manufacturer of high-performing recycled compounds based in Italy and Poland.

Abcam Attracts Interest from US Life Sciences Giants

Abcam, a biotech supplier, has garnered interest from major US life sciences companies Danaher and Agilent as it explores its potential sale. The company has also approached Germany’s Merck and attracted attention from large buyout firms, say sources of Bloomberg.

Novartis Divests Ophthalmology Assets to Bausch + Lomb for Up to $2.5 Billion

Novartis has signed an agreement to divest its 'front of eye' ophthalmology assets to Bausch + Lomb, a global eye health company. The transaction is valued at up to $2.5 billion, which marks a strategic move to focus on innovative medicines and growth opportunities.

Arkema Takes Majority Stake in PI Advanced Materials

French specialty chemicals company Arkema plans to acquire the 54% majority stake held by Glenwood Private Equity in South Korea-listed PI Advanced Materials (PIAM) for €728 million and fully consolidate the holding. The remaining 46% of equity will continue to be listed in South Korea.

Six States Join FTC Lawsuit to Block Amgen-Horizon

Six US states – New York, California, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Washington – have joined the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit to block Amgen's proposed nearly $28 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics.

H.B. Fuller Completes Two Strategic Acquisitions

H.B. Fuller, which bills itself as the world’s largest pure-play adhesives provider, has announced the completion of two strategic acquisitions that it said will accelerate the transformation of the US company’s portfolio toward more highly specified applications and enhance diversification of its Construction Adhesives (CA) business.

Covestro Said to Reject ADNOC Buyout Offer

German engineering plastics producer Covestro has rejected an initial takeover proposal from Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) as too low, the Bloomberg news agency reports, citing “people familiar with the matter.”

Lilly Boosts Immunology with Dice Buy

Major drugmaker Eli Lilly is to pay up to $2.4 billion to acquire Dice Therapeutics, a US biotech specializing in developing oral medicines to treat chronic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Röhm Seals Functional Forms Deal with SABIC

German PMMA specialist Röhm has signed a final agreement to acquire SABIC’s Functional form business, which makes high-end polycarbonate film and sheet.

Chemanol Acquires Stakes in Saudi Chemical Companies

Methanol Chemicals – known as Chemanol – a Saudi Arabian producer of methanol and derivatives, has signed agreements to acquire controlling stakes in two compatriot chemical companies.

Brenntag Buys Chinese Specialties Distributor Saifu

Brenntag is to acquire Chinese distributor Shanghai Saifu Chemical Development for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is expected to close later this year.

Novo Nordisk in Talks to Take Majority Stake in Biocorp

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is in exclusive talks to take a controlling stake in Biocorp, a French company specializing in developing and producing delivery systems and medical devices, for about €154 million.

Chemours Sells Glycolic Acid Business to PureTech Scientific

Chemours has agreed to sell its glycolic acid business to PureTech Scientific for $137 million cash. The transaction is expected to close by the third quarter of this year, subject to regulatory approval and other usual conditions.

Azelis Acquires Dutch Distributor Sirius

Azelis continues its acquisition spree, this time adding Dutch distributor Sirius International to its stable. Sirius said it will operate as part of Azelis as of Jun. 1. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

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.

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.

Chemical Distributors Can Be Successful Through Change

H.B. Fuller Acquires UK’s Beardow Adams

US adhesives major H.B. Fuller has acquired Beardow Adams, a UK-based family-owned industrial adhesives manufacturer with capacities in Europe and the US, with a global distribution network and customers in more than 70 countries. Neither terms nor the cost of the purchase have been disclosed.

Sweden’s Sobi Agrees Merger with CTI BioPharma

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi) has agreed a merger with CTI BioPharma, a US biopharmaceutical company focused on blood-related cancers and rare diseases. Through a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary, Sobi plans to commence a cash tender offer that values CTI at $1.7 billion.

Fujifilm Buys Entegris’ Electronics Chemicals Business

Japan’s Fujifilm has agreed to acquire Entegris’ electronic chemicals business for $700 million. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2023, subject to regulatory approval and other customary conditions.

TotalEnergies Acquires Iber Resinas

TotalEnergies has acquired Spanish mechanical recycling company Iber Resinas for an undisclosed sum. The French energy, chemicals and plastics company said the acquisition will increase its production of circular polymers in Europe, extend its range of recycled products and enhance its access to feedstock through Iber Resinas’ network of suppliers.

IMCD Seals Two Acquisitions and a Distribution Deal

Rotterdam-based speciality chemicals distributor IMCD kicked off the month of May agreeing a major distribution partnership and two outright acquisitions.

Siegfried Takes Majority Stake in Dinamiqs

Swiss CDMO Siegfried has acquired a 95% stake in Dinamiqs, a compatriot biotech focused on developing and manufacturing viral vectors for cell and gene therapies.

PCAS in Exclusive Talks for Sale of Canada Business to Japan’s DIC

PCAS, a French specialist in complex molecules for the life sciences and specialty chemicals markets, has received an offer for its Canadian subsidiary from Japanese chemicals company DIC.