Samsung Biologics to buy PolyPeptide Group

Under a newly agreed transaction, South Korea’s Samsung Biologics is to buy PolyPeptide, a specialised global CDMO for peptide-based APIs, for CHF 44.31/share. This represents a 40% premium on the share price of CHF 31.65 when rumours about a sale began on 10 April and values PolyPeptide at about CHF 1.46 billion. 

The deal is subject to shareholder approval, but the PolyPeptide board has unanimously recommended acceptance while its largest individual shareholder, Draupnir Holding, which owns a 55.65% stake, has committed to tender all of its shares into the offer. The transaction should be completed by the end of the year

“The transaction aims to provide PolyPeptide with the resources, investment capacity and strategic platform to pursue the next phase of its growth and innovation,” PolyPeptide stated. “Alongside Samsung Biologics’ global manufacturing scale and track record of operational excellence, PolyPeptide will also benefit from an aligned customer footprint.”

John Rim, CEO and chairman of the board at Samsung Biologics, said: “This acquisition reinforces our long-term growth strategy by not only broadening our service portfolio with modality expansion into peptides including GLP-1, but by also boosting our geographic reach and proximity further within the US, Europe and India. “

In 1H 2026, PolyPeptide also revealed, its revenues grew by 41.6% on 1H 2025 to €236.6 million, while a loss of €26 million turned into a profit of about €9 million. Growth was primarily driven by metabolic therapeutics, which now account for about 68% of total revenues, particularly from large pharma companies, which represent about 72%. Meanwhile, the number of Phase III projects grew from 30 to 37.