Samsung makes $1.8B offer to PolyPeptide Group

Source Credit : Portfolio Prints

South Korea’s Samsung Biologics announced on Monday that it has launched an all-cash bid worth 1.46 billion Swiss francs ($1.8 billion) to acquire Switzerland-based PolyPeptide Group, a specialist in peptide-based active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

Under the terms of the public tender offer, PolyPeptide shareholders will receive 44.31 Swiss francs per share. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Shares of PolyPeptide rose nearly 5.3% in morning trading following the announcement.

Samsung Biologics said the acquisition would be the largest biopharmaceutical M&A transaction in South Korean history. The deal forms part of the company's strategy to diversify its portfolio by expanding into peptide therapeutics, one of the fastest-growing segments of the biopharmaceutical industry amid surging demand for obesity treatments.

Peptide therapeutics are medicines made from short chains of amino acids. They include certain GLP-1 drugs used to treat obesity and diabetes by mimicking natural hormones that help regulate blood sugar levels and suppress appetite.

“After a comprehensive review of strategic options, the Board is convinced that Samsung Biologics’ offer is compelling for our shareholders, delivering an attractive cash price and immediate, certain value today,” said PolyPeptide Chairman Peter Wilden.

Samsung Biologics said the acquisition would complement its existing portfolio, which is focused on antibody therapeutics and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). The company also aims to address growing customer demand across a broader range of therapeutic modalities, particularly as peptide-based GLP-1 treatments continue to gain traction worldwide.

The transaction will further strengthen Samsung Biologics’ global footprint by adding PolyPeptide’s manufacturing and research network across Sweden, Belgium, France, the United States, and India. The facilities support research and development, process development, and commercial-scale manufacturing.

Headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, PolyPeptide was spun off from pharmaceutical company Ferring in 1996 and has developed and manufactured more than 1,000 therapeutic peptides over its history.

Samsung Biologics shares closed 3.65% lower on Monday, extending earlier declines despite the acquisition announcement.