PolyPeptide Group

Biotech · Pharmaceutical Manufacturing · CDMO

Acquisition

Samsung Biologics to acquire Swiss PolyPeptide Group for $1.8B

The deal buys a foothold in GLP-1 peptide manufacturing, the fastest-growing niche in a CDMO market Samsung already dominates in antibodies.

• Samsung Biologics agreed to acquire 100% of PolyPeptide Group AG via an all-cash tender offer of CHF 44.31 per share, valuing the Swiss company's equity at roughly CHF 1.46 billion ($1.8 billion).
• PolyPeptide, founded in 1952 and headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, is a contract manufacturer of peptide- and oligonucleotide-based active pharmaceutical ingredients, with over 1,000 therapeutic peptides produced to date.
• The offer price is a 40% premium over PolyPeptide's undisturbed share price before acquisition rumors surfaced in April, and PolyPeptide's largest shareholder, holding about 55.65% of shares, has already agreed to tender its stake.
• The acquisition adds six manufacturing facilities across Sweden, Belgium, France, the US and India to Samsung Biologics' network, which currently runs five plants in Songdo, South Korea.
• PolyPeptide posted €389.3 million in revenue last year, up 15.6% year-over-year, with EBITDA jumping 84.4% to €46.8 million, reflecting accelerating demand for peptide manufacturing.
• The deal is billed as the largest-ever acquisition by a South Korean biotech or pharmaceutical company, and follows Samsung Biologics' recent $280 million purchase of a GSK drug plant in the US.
• By adding peptide capacity to its antibody and ADC manufacturing base, Samsung Biologics positions itself as an end-to-end multimodality CDMO just as GLP-1 obesity drugs reshape demand across the pharmaceutical supply chain.