Samsung Biologics to acquire PolyPeptide in $1.81bn cash deal

The proposed offer is set at SFr44.31 per share for 100% of PolyPeptide’s fully diluted share capital, excluding treasury shares.

Completion of the deal is anticipated towards the end of this year, contingent on meeting a minimum acceptance threshold of nearly 67%, as well as obtaining required regulatory approvals and satisfying other conditions under Swiss takeover law.

Acting through its independent and non-conflicted members, PolyPeptide’s board unanimously recommends that shareholders accept the tender offer, subject to the terms outlined in the forthcoming prospectus.

The company’s largest shareholder, with around 55.65% of outstanding shares (excluding treasury shares), has provided an irrevocable undertaking to tender its shares into the offer.

By moving forward with this offer, Samsung Biologics intends to expand its position beyond antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), targeting the growing demand for peptide-based therapeutics.

PolyPeptide operates facilities in Belgium, France, India, Sweden, and the US, as well as a corporate office in Switzerland and an Innovation Centre in France.

The company specialises in peptide-based active pharmaceutical ingredients and has produced more than 1,000 therapeutic peptides in its history.

Samsung Biologics CEO and board of directors chairman John Rim 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.

“We highly value PolyPeptide’s world-class employees, industry-leading capabilities, and global operational footprint, and look forward to leveraging the complementary strengths of PolyPeptide and Samsung Biologics in our continued growth supporting clients as the CDMO of choice for decades to come.”

The offer price reflects a 40% premium to PolyPeptide’s last undisturbed share price as of 10 April 2026, and approximately a 11.6% premium to the 60-day volume-weighted average price.

If completed, Samsung Biologics plans to acquire all remaining shares and delist PolyPeptide from the SIX Swiss Exchange. JP Morgan is serving as exclusive financial adviser to Samsung Biologics.

Ernst & Young Han Young is serving as accounting and tax adviser while O’Melveny & Myers and Schellenberg Wittmer are providing legal advice.

Earlier this year, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and Samsung Biologics partnered in an outbreak-ready vaccine manufacturing partnership to enhance the preparedness of global vaccine production for pandemic threats and future epidemics.