At CPhI Worldwide 2021 in Milan on 9-11 November, Italian CDMO Olon announced “a significant expansion of its pipeline of APIs, a result of its R&D investment strategy”. In all, it has added nine new active substances for the generics market by investing across several lines and at multiple facilities in its network.

Indian chlor-alkali producer Meghmani Finechem is to spend €21.6 million to expand into the chlorotoluene value chain at its site in Dahej, Gujarat. Due to be commissioned by Q4 2024, this will be the first plant in India to be back-integrated into toluene chlorination, and will produce pharmaceutical and agrochemical intermediates.

AGC is to expand the production lines of its AGC Wakasa Chemicals subsidiary at the Kaminaka plant in Japan’s Fukui prefecture. The amount involved was not disclosed but the expansion, due to start operation in Q1 2024, will increase AGC Wakasa Chemicals’ manufacturing capacity by 50%, with more potentially to come.

Merck KGaA’s Life Science business sector has launched ChetoSensar, a technology that improves the solubility of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Over 20% of ADC candidates are terminated in clinical trials because of poor solubility. The company said that this supports it efforts to double its ADC and HPAPI capacity in the near future.

In partnership with Aguettant Pharmarmaceutical, Italy’s Olon Group is to expand and renovate its plant in Mulazzano, which is dedicated to the production by enzymatic transformation. It will install reactors, filters and ancillary equipment, as well as automating and digitalising some steps performed there.

SK Capital Partners has announced that it, Eurazeo and other shareholders in Seqens have entered a formal agreement for it to acquire Seqens. This follows a period of exclusive negotiations and the agreement of the employee representative body. This remains subject to regulatory approval. S

As “part of its strategy to meet the evolution of customer needs in fine chemicals and services”, the Minafin Group has reorganised itself into three divisions, each with its own CEO, with effect from 1 October. They are:

* Health Chemistry, comprising the pharmaceutical activities of Minakem CDMO, Minakem Generics and HPAPIs, led by a CEO who is as yet unannounced

* Green Chemistry, comprising the mainly non-pharma activities of Pennakem, Minasolve, Minagro and EcoXtract, under Gust Desmedt