Global Briefs: Novartis, Bayer, GSK, UCB & More
A roundup of news from the large and mid-sized bio/pharmaceutical companies featuring Novartis, Bayer, GSK, UCB, Sanofi, BioNTech, and Angelini Pharma. Highlights below.
For the latest news roundup on small and Emerging Pharma companies, see Biotech Briefs.
Mfg News
* Novartis To Close German Solid Dosage Mfg Site
* BioNTech To Exit Multiple Mfg Facilities
M&A News
* Bayer To Acquire Perfuse Therapeutics in $2.45-Bn Deal
* UCB To Acquire Candid Therapeutics for $2 Bn
* Angelini Pharma To Acquire Catalyst Pharmaceuticals for $4.1 Bn
Partnering News
* GSK, Siran Bio in $1-Bn siRNA Oligonucleotide Pact
R&D News
* Sanofi Investing $294 M in AI Center of Excellence
Mfg News
Novartis To Close German Solid Dosage Mfg Site
Novartis has announced plans to close its solid dosage production site in Wehr, Germany by the end of 2028. In Wehr, solid oral dosage forms are manufactured for predominantly established products from the Novartis portfolio.
The planned closure is expected to result in the elimination of approximately 220 jobs. All planned changes are now subject to legally mandated information and consultation procedures with relevant employee representatives.
As part of a long-term commitment, Novartis says it is focusing on the further development of innovative manufacturing technologies in Germany. As announced in 2025, Novartis is investing EUR 35 million ($41 million) in a new production facility for radioligand therapies in Halle (Saxony-Anhalt). The planned site will produce personalized cancer therapies for patients in Germany and is scheduled to begin operations in 2027.
Source: Novartis
BioNTech To Exit Multiple Mfg Facilities
BioNTech, a Mainz, Germany-based bio/pharmaceutical company, has announced plans to exit operations at its manufacturing sites in Idar-Oberstein and Marburg in Germany and Singapore as well as former sites of CureVac, a vaccines company that BioNTech acquired in late 2025. The moves will impact up to approximately 1,860 positions in total. The company provided update of its plan to consolidate its manufacturing network in its first-quarter 2026 results announced earlier this month (May 2026).
The exit from the sites in Idar-Oberstein, Marburg, and Tübingen in Germany is planned by the end of 2027 while operations in Singapore are expected to conclude in the first quarter of 2027. For each of these manufacturing sites, BioNTech says it is exploring divestment options, including a partial or total sale.
BioNTech expects cost savings to ramp up over time, potentially reaching approximately EUR 500 million ($587 million) in recurring annual savings upon full implementation of the measures in 2029. These savings are intended to support the company’s capital allocation to further advance its growing oncology pipeline toward commercialization.
Source: BioNTech
M&A News
Bayer To Acquire Perfuse Therapeutics in $2.45-Bn Deal
Bayer has agreed to acquire Perfuse Therapeutics, a bio/pharmaceutical company focused on ocular diseases, in a $2.45-billion deal ($300 million upfront and $2.15 billion in milestone payments).
With this acquisition, Bayer will hold the full rights pertaining to PER-001, a small-molecule endothelin receptor antagonist currently in Phase II clinical development for the treatment of glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
Under the agreement, the transaction carries a total potential value of up to $2.45 billion, comprising a $300-million upfront payment and additional development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments based on success criteria.
Source: Bayer
UCB To Acquire Candid Therapeutics for $2 Bn
UCB, a Brussels, Belgium-based bio/pharmaceutical company, has agreed to acquire Candid Therapeutics, a privately held clinical-stage bio/pharmaceutical company, for $2.2 billion ($2 billion upfront and $200 million in milestone payments).
Candid’s lead asset, cizutamig, a bispecific antibody directed to B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) on plasma cells and CD3 on T-cells, is currently in multiple Phase I clinical studies across various autoimmune diseases.
In addition to cizutamig, Candid is developing a pipeline of multi-specific T-cell engagers antibodies designed to enable targeted depletion of pathogenic B cell populations in immune-mediated diseases to achieve immune reset.
Under the agreement, UCB will pay $2 billion upfront and up to $200 million in potential future milestone payments. The transaction remains subject to certain closing conditions, including required anti-trust clearance and other customary conditions, and is expected to close by end of the second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2026.
Source: UCB
Angelini Pharma To Acquire Catalyst Pharmaceuticals for $4.1 Bn
Angelini Pharma, a Rome, Italy-based bio/pharmaceutical company, has agreed to acquire Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, a Coral Gables, Florida-based commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on in-licensing, developing, and commercializing drugs for rare neuromuscular and neurological disease drugs, for $4.1 billion.
The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
Source: Angelini Pharma
Partnering News
GSK, Siran Bio in $1-Bn siRNA Oligonucleotide Pact
GSK and Siran Biotechnology, a Suzhou, China-based bio/pharmaceutical company, have entered an agreement for SA030, a long-acting, small interfering RNA (siRNA) oligonucleotide in development for the treatment of metabolic and vascular disease, in a deal worth up to $1 billion.
SA030 has recently entered Phase I trials and targets activin receptor-like kinase 7 (ALK7), an established therapeutic mechanism for cardiometabolic disease.
GSK will pay an upfront fee as well as potential future success-based development, regulatory, and commercial milestones payments up to $1 billion, and tiered royalties on global product net sales (excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). SiranBio will lead the clinical development of SA030 through the completion of Phase I, following which GSK will assume responsibility for development, regulatory filings, and commercialization outside of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Source: SiranBio
R&D News
Sanofi Investing $294 M in AI Center of Excellence
Sanofi is expanding its global AI center of excellence in Toronto with an investment of $294 million to support the design and deployment of advanced AI tools for use throughout Sanofi’s global research, manufacturing, and business operations.
Source: Sanofi
