Peptide News Digest

#M-And-A

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Samsung Biologics Announces Sunday-Monday July 19-20 an All-Cash Public Tender Offer to Acquire Swiss Peptide CDMO PolyPeptide Group for CHF 1.46 Billion ($1.8 Billion) at CHF 44.31 Per Share (40% Premium to the Undisturbed Share Price of CHF 31.65) — The Largest Biopharmaceutical M&A in South Korean History Anchored on Rising Client Demand for Peptide-Based GLP-1 Therapies in Obesity and Diabetes; PolyPeptide Board Unanimously Recommends the Offer and the Largest Shareholder Has Given an Irrevocable Tender Undertaking for Approximately 55.65% of Outstanding Shares

Samsung Biologics announced Sunday-Monday July 19-20, 2026 an all-cash public tender offer to acquire Switzerland's PolyPeptide Group for CHF 1.46 billion ($1.8 billion) at CHF 44.31 per share, a 40% premium to the undisturbed share price of CHF 31.65. The transaction represents the largest biopharmaceutical M&A in South Korean history. Strategic rationale: PolyPeptide is a global peptide contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with accelerating revenue growth driven by rising client demand for peptide-based GLP-1 therapies for obesity and diabetes. The acquisition expands Samsung Biologics' capabilities beyond monoclonal antibody manufacturing (its historical strength) into peptide therapeutics and adds PolyPeptide's global network spanning Sweden, Belgium, France, the United States, and India, encompassing R&D, development, and commercial manufacturing capabilities. PolyPeptide's Board of Directors unanimously recommends the offer. The largest shareholder has given an irrevocable tender undertaking representing approximately 55.65% of outstanding shares. Samsung Biologics expects to complete the deal by end of 2026. The deal extends the July 2026 peptide-manufacturing consolidation wave alongside Novartis's $1.5 billion Myricx Bio acquisition (ADC payloads, July 6) and Lonza's Nona Biosciences TfR1 blood-brain-barrier deal (July 2).

Industry · View digest

Novartis Agrees Monday July 6 to Acquire UK Biotech Myricx Bio for Up to $1.5 Billion ($1.1 Billion Cash Upfront Plus Milestones) to Advance a Next-Generation N-Myristoyltransferase Inhibitor (NMTi) Antibody-Drug Conjugate Payload Platform With Two Lead Assets Targeting B7-H3 and HER2 Across Multiple Solid-Tumor Settings; Transaction Expected to Close in H2 2026 Subject to Customary Closing Conditions Including Regulatory Approvals

Novartis announced Monday July 6, 2026 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire UK biotech Myricx Bio for up to $1.5 billion ($1.1 billion cash upfront plus potential milestone payments) to advance next-generation ADC payload innovation. Myricx Bio developed a first-in-class N-myristoyltransferase inhibitor (NMTi) payload platform. NMT is an enzyme that maintains the function of certain proteins inside cells, and cancer cells rely on it to grow and survive; blocking NMT with a payload delivered via ADC disrupts those processes directly inside tumor cells. Myricx's two lead assets target B7-H3 and HER2 across multiple solid-tumor settings. The transaction is expected to close in H2 2026 subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals. The deal extends the payload-and-linker chemistry infrastructure that peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), ADCs, and adjacent bioconjugate modalities share. Novo Holdings (through its portfolio company backing of Myricx) and Sofinnova Partners were among the pre-deal investors. Endpoints News framed the transaction as another 2026 signal that payload innovation, not antibody targeting alone, is driving competitive differentiation in the next-generation ADC race.