Contract Pharma

Editor’s Take: AI-driven technologies in R&D, drug discovery, and other elements of the pharma value chain continue changing the industry. Sanyou Biopharmaceutical Co. and Guangzhou Baiyunshan Xihe Health Pharmaceutical Co., both of China, signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The partnership will develop novel radiopharmaceuticals and radiodiagnostic products.

Why This Matters: Check out Contract Pharma’s Pharmaceutical Industry Mergers & Acquisitions Roundup. Incyte completed its previously announced, $1.25 billion upfront acquisition of Vega Therapeutics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Star Therapeutics. The transaction adds a novel monoclonal antibody (mAb), VGA039, to Incyte’s hematology portfolio. VGA039 is currently in Phase III development to treat von Willebrand disease (VWD), considered the most common inherited bleeding disorder.

It’s no secret that pharmaceutical companies today are rethinking global supply networks. As the industry faces global disruptions and trade friction, supply chain resiliency and security are top of mind. Recent supply chain disruptions have shown how localized crises, regulatory bottlenecks or political instability can upend concentrated production and expose downstream markets to drug shortages.

Editor’s Take: Novartis continues to bolster its strategic therapeutic portfolios through corporate acquisitions, strategic alliances, and manufacturing agreements. In October, the company agreed to acquire Avidity Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company focused on a new class of therapeutics enabling RNA delivery to muscle.

Editor’s Note: The Friday Brief takes a hiatus from regular news to spotlight recent multimedia content. Happy Friday, happy 250th birthday to the USA, and happy holiday edition of The Friday Brief. It is now July, which means we are busy putting together our annual Top 20 pharma and biopharma companies issue. We saw many of you interested in last year’s edition when we met last week at BIO in San Diego. We’re confident you’ll dive into the 2026 update.

Editor’s Note: New GMP certifications add to WuXi’s list of global regulatory clearances. WuXi Biologics received good manufacturing practice (GMP) certification from Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) for three facilities. All—Drug Substance Facility 2 (MFG2), Drug Product Facility 1 (DP1), Drug Product Packaging Center (DPPC)—are in Wuxi, China.

Editor’s Note: The continuation of a long-running partnership between Lilly and Innovent extends to China for a seventh time. Eli Lilly and Company and Innovent Biologics have a new distribution and promotion agreement for Verzenios (abemaciclib) in mainland China. It is the eighth collaboration between Lilly and Innovent, with a previous one announced in February. Moreover, according to Innovent Founder, Chairman, and CEO Michael Yu, PhD, the partnership now has seven on-market products in China.

In this episode of the Pharma Matters podcast, host Patrick Lavery speaks with Martell Winters, Senior Manager, Scientific Business Development, and Pieter Van Wouwe, Scientific Expert, both at Nelson Laboratories, about the rise in popularity of combination products. The discussion looks at where sponsors run into problems in the testing process, concerns about factors like sterility, microbiology, and E&L, and the trends that may shape the coming years. Keep up with the story.

Estonia-based biotechnology company Icosagen has completed a €45 million ($51.3 million) strategic expansion to strengthen its integrated biologics development and manufacturing capabilities with a new site, creating a seamless pathway from early discovery through GMP manufacturing for clinical supply of complex protein therapeutics.

Exonate Ltd., a biotechnology company developing novel, non-invasive, small-molecule therapeutics for patients with retinal vascular diseases, has appointed Olav Hellebø as Chief Executive Officer. Hellebø will lead the company as it strengthens its executive team and advances toward key clinical and corporate milestones, including initiating a Phase IIb clinical trial of lead candidate EXN407 for diabetic eye disease.